MAGNETO versus APOCALYPSE

Back in the USSR Part 2: Clear And Present Danger (Marvel)
Where: Adventures of the X-Men #6 When: September 1996 Why: Ralph Macchio How: Ben Herrera

The Story So Far...
The destruction of Asteroid M sends a furious Magneto back to Earth on a mission of vengeance against a humanity that has betrayed peace!

With his mastery of magnetism Magneto turns the weapons of the world against itself -- invading a Russian base with The Brotherhood of Mutants -- to launch a nuclear missile strike targeting the United States.

With his retaliation comes the dire realization that it was not any nation that attacked his orbital base, but rather the maniacal Apocalypse -- who has manipulated Magneto into an act of war that will assure the mutual destruction of two global powers, scorching the Earth so only the fittest will survive!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Apocalypse 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Apocalypse 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Apocalypse 6 (Rubber)
Fighting: Apocalypse 4 (Trained)
Energy: Magneto 6 (None)
Total: Apocalypse 36 (Metahuman)

Season 2 of X-Men '97 pits these mutant titans against one another in a dramatic battle in ancient Egypt, but long before Disney+ launched their animated series revival, there was Adventures of the X-Men -- a companion series published while the final season of the original X-Men cartoon was airing in 1996 into '97.

Adventures ditched direct episode adaptations for all-new original stories, with this version of Magneto differing slightly from animated and comic book counterparts of the time, possessing all the classic abilities of the Master of Magnetism, while having formed a version of The Brotherhood of Mutants with Toad, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver.

Magneto and his Brotherhood crossed paths with the X-Men many times in early issues of the mainline comics, notably coming undone when Magneto's attempt to recruit the Sub-Mariner backfired in X-Men (Vol.1) #6.

Inter-personal relationships with his erstwhile children and underlings have also often proved troublesome for Magneto. Things got violent when he reunited with his children in the moon city Attilan, and Quicksilver was against him again during the X-Men's siege of Avalon.

It's not all family turmoil for the "House of M", though. When Scarlet Witch began to experience a mental breakdown, he patched things up with his daughter & son, bringing them successfully together against Iron Man. Significant as Scarlet Witch will tag along for today's featured fight -- but it's really all about the showdown between Magneto and the awesome ancient might of Apocalypse!

Both are major players in shaping the fate of mutantkind, but they haven't crossed paths as much as you might think. One of their most notable collisions came when Apocalypse conquered the world in the alternate-reality timeline of Age of Apocalypse, resulting in the heroic Magneto making a final stand against the tyrant with a shocking realization of his fullest magnetic powers!

Don't be fooled, though. Through his natural mutant gifts, and techno-organic enhancements from Celestial technology, Apocalypse has almost total control over his molecular composition. This allows him to endure and resist significant physical damage, and adapt his body into a variety of weapons and even vehicles. Useful talents when facing an adaptable opponent, such as the High Evolutionary.

Apocalypse is also a keen strategist, with a wealth of tools and followers amassed over the centuries, allowing him to secure victory even in the most dire of circumstances, as seen in his victories over the Norse god Loki, and the X-Men.

Circumstances and dramatic thrust have a major role to play in any encounter between these two. If Magneto can utilize the fullest of his powers he may secure victory, but it's hard to imagine either mutant backing down. Let's see how it goes!

History: Magneto (1-0-0)

The Tape: Apocalypse Ranking: Magneto (#91)

What Went Down...

Magneto angrily leads the Scarlet Witch to the exterior compound of the Russian nuclear base he seized mere moments earlier. There, Apocalypse waits to greet him with pontifications of rebirth through the ashes of a thermonuclear fire -- ignited by his intent -- and the missiles Magneto has launched against the world!

This time The Master of Magnetism does his best to curb his fury, ordering Scarlet Witch to stay safely behind, while he chooses a more deliberate show of power.

As he calls forth large heavy lids from missile silos to direct in a volley of projectiles -- it remains to be seen if he has withheld his anger.

Apocalypse transforms his left hand into a studded club and effortlessly swats aside the heavy metallic discs!

They are a mere annoyance to the ancient mutant who has survived the rise and fall of civilizations by nothing but his own will and incredible abilities!

Magneto stands his ground, claiming intent while keeping up the irritation -- he hurls tiny metal fragments at the large frame of his towering opponent. Apocalypse grows increasingly impatient...

Apocalypse charges toward Magneto, switching the studded club to his other hand while shifting the shape of his muscular left arm into a large mechanical pincer!

He raises both arms, bringing the weapons crashing down towards Magneto in an overhead strike. It's all The Master of Magnetism can do to stifle the blow as his magnetic field projections struggle to have any real influence.

Magneto tries to hold Apocalypse's arms back, but the ancient mutant looms over him with superior strength and a determination to dominate not only Magneto's body, but also his egotistical claims to being leader of mutant resistance in a war against humanity.

At last the strain is too great and Apocalypse is able to clasp his techno-organic grapple around Magneto's chest and arms!

He effortlessly lifts Magneto off the ground and begins to tighten his grip!

The upper hand belongs to En Sabah Nur -- but suddenly his grip is broken as a concussive beam blasts into his mid-section and staggers him back!

Cyclops leads the X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants out of the nearby building.

With intercontinental nuclear missiles on a course for the United States of America -- Cyclops rightly identifies that Magneto's fight with Apocalypse is risking the fate of the world. He must withdraw, to use his powers to avert disaster and save the planet from nuclear war. A mission for peaceful coexistence with humanity, much to the amusement of Apocalypse, who mocks Magneto for heeding the behest of one of Charles Xavier's students.

The Hammer...

If you're anything like I was when this issue hit shelves back in the day, you were drawn in by that energetic Andy Kuhn cover, and the promise of a rare battle between two of the X-Men's greatest villains -- but even if we say Apocalypse had the upper hand, it's an inconclusive result that sends Magneto on a more pressing mission, setting us up for another fight, between Apocalypse and the X-Men!

Before we move on and look ahead to that match-up, we should also chalk Cyclops up for the assist. His well-timed optic blast from off-panel frees Magneto to save the world from mutually assured nuclear destruction. A surprise move he also pulled against Juggernaut and The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants to end a crossover with DC's Teen Titans. I wonder how many times he's done that...

Today it's all about the X-Men, from a time when "Adventures" was synonymous with TV exploits, and the end was near for the much-loved animated series that ran from late 1992 to 1997.

I was already a dyed in the wool comic book reader, but it's fair to say the cartoon cemented my interest in the X-Men, which become more intense in the early to mid-nineties, and included actively collecting action figures, video games, and the entire first series on VHS tapes that featured two episodes per box (an improvement on the single episode tapes common to the United States).

The show had aired on weekday mornings before school, but even found its way into weekend primetime, much to my chagrin as Wolverine and Storm faced the time-traveling antics of Fitzroy as I was ushered out the door with a friend for dinner at Pizza Hut.

Fortunately, the entire series now streams on Disney+, where fans can recapture some of the excitement along with the first two seasons of revival series, X-Men '97. I can even enjoy the luxury of owning it all on DVD thanks to British released box sets that were obscenely cheap just a decade ago. Not so back in 1996!

The only hope an eater of meatlovers pizza had back then was anecdotal accounts from friends (who mostly weren't watching), prospective re-runs or VHS that never happened, or an adaptation of episodes in the pages of X-Men Adventures.

It was interesting to see how episodes were condensed, and sometimes slightly different on the page, but with a fresh mind that recalled minute detail & exact dialogue from regular TV viewings -- with hope of one day seeing all the episodes on home formats -- I was always a little bit snobbish towards adapted works.

Comic book artwork put Adventures series a step above novelizations, but it was still a slightly lame, second-hand, played out experience when all was said and done. So when the series was replaced with the slightly re-titled Adventures of the X-Men -- I was reserved, but pleased. It was still cheap, easy to access X-Men comics, but now there were a few surprises in store, and a fresh approach!

The simplified art style that became synonymous with cartoon-inspired series may have cost them a little street cred at the time, but over the years I've gained much more appreciation for the alternative offerings.

I've become particularly fond of Andy Kuhn's contributions, but Ben Herrera contributes a nice "animated" energy in today's spotlight issue, sharing duties in today's spotlight issue with Roberto Flores in the back half. Artists like John Hebert offered tendons & muscle more in keeping with the post-Jim Lee house style of the time in earlier series, while Alex Saviuk showed a stripped back, refined graphic expanding on his work on Spider-Man.

In another quirk from the age, my copy of Adventures of the X-Men #6 is one of the flipbook versions, which has the corresponding Adventures of Spider-Man #6 on the other side -- a deviating spin-off from the Spider-Man Adventures comic. We might also take this moment to acknowledge and celebrate Marvel Adventures, which opened the toy box up to other Marvel cartoon characters of the time, including Hulk, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and even Silver Surfer.

In hindsight, one of the pleasures of these series is that they were unburdened from the stunts and stages of comics at the time. This isn't a story about Joseph, or a catatonic post-Fatal Attractions Magneto. It's basically just the classic Master of Magnetism, and all the characters you know and love, with less of the nonsense. That's something I can appreciate a lot more, these days.

In the age of Disney and Marvel Studios, we're strangely used to malformed versions of characters in much the same way of the disappointments of adaptations from earlier decades. One of the things that made the X-Men animated series work so well in the nineties was its effort to reflect the look and style of the comics, with the intuitive wisdom and refinements of thirty years of publication to draw upon.

I shamefully admit that I often regarded the cartoon versions of Apocalypse and the Sentinels for being distillations of what makes those characters great, without the baggage of some of the clumsier efforts of seminal comic book appearances, and later distractions and missteps. The first series, in particular, did it very well.

The scope of Apocalypse and Magneto in the mainline Marvel Comics meant they were often out of sync, in a state of flux, and perhaps just too big to have a lot to do with each other. It was nice that Adventures could facilitate the meeting of their iconic selves, although Apocalypse is maybe skewing a little Saturday Morning in his manipulations and general depictions here, but I suppose it recalls the scenes of a giant-size Apocalypse stomping through France in Series 1.

How important were the cartoons and these comics to your fandom? I'd be interested to know. You can drop a comment below, hit me up on social media, or take the next step in human evolution by supporting the cause on Patreon. That's one way you can help encourage a follow-up for the X-Men/Apocalypse battle!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has been serving superhero smackdown for well over 750 fights, while ranking more than 1000 of your favourite characters with detailed information resources and reviews -- all free for your convenience!

You can find much more by diving in to the Secret Archives! That's a complete index of every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue number. Or simply follow links throughout each feature to find more from your favourite characters, series, and subjects. That's how you become the ultimate fighter!

You can also get daily recommendations inspired by popular topics of the day by subscribing to X (aka; Twitter)! Don't forget to smash that like, fave, and share to help boost the signal -- and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday on X & Discord! The lively Discord chat is one of the bonuses of becoming a Patreon subscriber. Ring the bell and get in the ring!

Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#91 (--) Magneto [+1 draw]
#127 (+3) Apocalypse [+1 draw]
#93 (--) Cyclops [+1 assist]

WONDER MAN versus CHAMPION OF THE UNIVERSE

And They Shall Call Him... Champion! (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7 When: 1982
Why: Tom DeFalco How: Ron Wilson

The Story So Far...
The Fantastic Four's Thing has earned a reputation as one of the universe's greatest fighters, having battled some of the most powerful beings of multiple galaxies! Enter: Proja - Promoter Supreme!

Charged with signing worthy opponents to challenge The Champion of the Universe -- Proja sees big box office potential in a main event match between The Thing and his client!

Madison Square Garden is the only arena in the world that could stage the once in a lifetime title bout, but you can't have a main event without an undercard! The Champ welcomes the challenge of some of Earth's most powerful defenders, but his pugilistic code swiftly eliminates Thor and Hulk from defending their planet.

Sasquatch did his best to test The Champ's ring awareness with brains and brawn, while the steely determination of the X-Man Colossus prompted The Champ to unleash a brutal beating. Now it's time for celebrity powerhouse Wonder Man to leave the film set and step into the ring as one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Champion 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Draw 2 (Average)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Champion 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Champion 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Champion of the Universe 29 (Metahuman)

So far Earth's challengers have been a mixed bag! Doc Samson failed to make it out of training - kayoed by a sparring robot, while the royal Sub-Mariner plain refused to even respond to the lowly challenge, let alone train for it.

After side-stepping a disqualified Thor and delisted Hulk -- The Champion of the Universe finally showed everyone he's as dangerous as they say by knocking out Sasquatch, and pummeling Colossus into a forced stoppage!

Next on the card of Earthborn challengers is Wonder Man: a then-recently retired Avenger-turned-actor with super-human strength, durability -- and serious doubts about his own suitability as a contender!

Simon Williams was recruited into the Masters of Evil when his family munitions business, Williams Innovations, faced crippling competition from Stark Industries. Guilty of embezzlement and involvement with organized crime; the desperate and inexperienced business heir accepted help from Baron Zemo in exchange for subjecting himself to experiments with ionic rays and radioactive chemicals.

Deployed to The Avengers as a double-agent; Wonder Man's conscience eventually led him to align with the heroes for real -- but a brush with death would plague his psyche and destroy his confidence. The anxious hero eventually decided to leave super-heroics behind, but the call always brings him back to the fight!

Wonder Man is a heavyhitter to be sure, demonstrating his strength in a weight-lifting challenge with USAgent, and taking on later battles against a super-charged Ronan, a renegade Hercules, and symbiote-possessed Avengers.

He's got the ionic might to stand his ground, but at the time of The Champion's challenge it's Wonder Man's mental game that might be his biggest downfall.

Simon Williams never set out to be a super-hero -- now he's one of Earth's last hopes against potential annihilation. We saw him struggle with his resurrected brother in a spotlight from a later issue. So how did the Avenger-slash-actor fare when the spotlight is turned on him? Let's find out...

The Tape: Champion of the Universe Ranking: Champion of the Universe (#74)

What Went Down...
The gravity of the situation dawns on Wonder Man as he watches attendants carry an unconscious Colossus on a stretcher through the training room. He and The Thing are the only heroes left. "What will happen to the Earth if we also fail?"

The Avenger disappears as Thing tells him to forget the stakes: "Ya got a fight ta win! Think about that -- and nothin' else!" Wonder Man vows to do his best.

Alas, the harsh realities of the boxing ring quickly take their toll!

Clearly warmed up by his previous battles, The Champion of the Universe works swiftly to take control of the match. We join the fight shortly after the opening bell to witness a right hook that launches Wonder Man over the top rope -- and into an invisible force-field surrounding the ring!

The Avenger drops to the mat, doubled over on his knees and contemplating his reluctance to even be there.

Wonder Man doesn't want to be a hero. Doesn't want to fight. He knows he can't take much more punishment -- but the chants of the crowd reach beyond his inner doubts. The spirit of the people wills him to get back up. Slowly but surely, with agony tearing through his body -- he does!

Back on his feet, Wonder Man makes a bold show of things!

Seemingly frustrated with the struggle and adrenalized by the crowd -- Wonder Man grabs at the ring mat and tears a piece of it up!

The Avenger is apparently tired of playing by the rules, but it's the rules that have seen him undone. For damaging the ring he is immediately disqualified. Another hero fallen before the match could even be decided.

The Hammer...

As anyone who's paid to watch a fight knows - there is always the risk that a bout will end in less than satisfying fashion. That means another inconclusive result for our record books, but what about the rules of the competition?

On the surface of it - it seems frustration got the better of Wonder Man, ending the match in a disqualification, but there is an intriguing possibility of reading into this result as an easy way out of a fight he didn't really want to have...

When Colossus was brought through the training area after losing his match, The Thing had a clear impression of how the young X-Man "did 'imself proud". So we could assume there's a live feed showing waiting challengers each match. Which means Wonder Man would've known Hulk was disqualified for a similar outburst.

Ultimately, I think we're to take it all at face value. Yes, Simon Williams had deep seeded doubts about his ability and desire to fight, but the support of the crowd spurred him to find his heroic spirit, and despite looking more spry than Sasquatch after taking The Champ's punches -- the weight of the situation, combined with the restrictions of the squared circle, just got him riled up.

Stepping away from the page; we of course know this result is in service of setting up a main event collision between the series headliner and The Champion of The Universe! A match we've been slowly building toward as we've continued to return to Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7 over the many years!

Since our last entry - a unique adaptation of Wonder Man has become a Marvel Disney+ streaming series, and even more appropriately, The Champion of the Universe has been revealed to finally be taking the obvious role of a video game final boss in the upcoming Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls.

The Champ did make it into the Contest of Champions mobile game a few years back, but as a noted fan of Capcom's Marvel fighting classics, it always made sense to me that he would fit perfectly into the classic fighting format, either as a powerhouse sub-boss, or as the engine for the entire game, as in Marvel Tokon.

Actually, Capcom's Marvel Super Heroes, with its Infinity Gem system loosely inspired by The Infinity Gauntlet, always seemed like a good place for The Champion to slot right in as a sub-boss. Particularly given his later association with the Infinity Stone of Power, seen as a pivotal plot point in his fight with She-Hulk and the all-important rematch.

The Champ also could've worked well in a new Marvel vs Capcom game, if Arc System Works didn't beat them to it for Tokon. It might've been nice to see Balrog (aka; M.Bison, aka; "Boxer") make some kind of appearance there. Heck. I don't particularly need to see Wonder Man in a fighting game roster, but the thought occurs that he was Johnny Cage before there was a Johnny Cage! Note that The Avenger slash actor is fighting with his sunglasses still on in our feature.

Next time we see The Champion of the Universe, it will no doubt be his classic main event blockbuster with The Thing -- but this won't be the end of our fun with Tryco Slatterus. There's a whole other card I'd like to explore in future entries!

If that sounds like a good idea to you - consider supporting the project on Patreon. Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has been serving superhero smackdown for well over 750 fights, ranking more than 1000 of your favourite characters with detailed information resources and review all free for your convenience!

You can find the entire fighting history, including more bouts from Marvel Two-In-One and all future entries, by diving in to the Secret Archives! That's a complete index of every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue number. Or simply follow links throughout each feature to find more from your favourite characters, series, and subjects. That's how you become the ultimate fighter!

You can also get daily recommendations inspired by popular topics of the day by subscribing to X (aka; Twitter)! Don't forget to smash that like, fave, and share to help boost the signal -- and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday on X & Discord! The lively Discord chat is one of the bonuses of becoming a Patreon subscriber. Ring the bell and get in the ring!

Winner: No Contest (Draw)
#71 (+3) Champion of the Universe [+1 draw]
#76 (+6) Wonder Man [+1 draw]

GREEN LANTERN versus SUPERMAN

The Enemies Among Us (DC)
Where: Superman/Batman #30 When: November 2006 Why: Mark Verheiden How: Ethan Van Sciver

The Story So Far...
An unknown force has unleashed a torrent of troubles upon Superman & Batman as they find themselves attacked by forgotten threats from the past -- and even their own allies!

After a strange turn by Martian Manhunter, the World's Finest duo have endured an assault from the Green Lantern and The Creature That Cannot Die, but even as Hal Jordan returns to his senses, they are instantly set upon by yet another friend when Kilowog arrives wielding not only his power ring, but also John Stewart's!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach-Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Superman 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Kilowog 4 (Trained)
Energy: Kilowog 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Superman 33 (Super)

We're back on the beat to find out how Green Lantern fares in a fight against Superman. A hero-on-hero match-up inspired by Howard Stern and his interview with DC Studios CEO & Co-Chairman, James Gunn, which captured the imagination of fans around the world -- and sparked rampant debates about who would win!

We've already seen that a Green Lantern can give Superman something to think about, but when Hal Jordan was turned against his teammate in the previous issue, he managed to shake the corrupting influence on his mind and ring before things went too far, ending the conflict peacefully.

Of course, there's more than one Green Lantern in the intergalactic GL Corps, and when that fight wrapped up -- Kilowog showed up to pick another one!

Kilowog is a designated Green Lantern of Sector 674, but you also might remember him from his time as a member of the Justice League. He settled on Earth after the destruction of his home world, Bolovax Vik - and the apparent murder of his entire race, when a new planet was destroyed by Sinestro.

In addition to his power ring, Kilowog is naturally incredibly strong and durable, with extensive combat training and practise in hand-to-hand fighting. He's a keen military strategist, with extensive knowledge in tactical strategies, genetics, and mechanical engineering. An all-rounder who helps train new Green Lanterns as Corps drill sergeant -- and should be an interesting test for Superman!

Although The Man of Steel is renowned for his Kryptonian might, he's no stranger to facing a physical adversary who can match him. He's tasted defeat at the hands of Orion, Lobo, and even Marvel's Venom, in addition to struggles with Blockbuster and Equus. Interesting studies, but an incomplete picture for today's match-up.

Our closest comparisons are Guy Gardner going a few rounds with Eradicator before they reached a mutual ceasefire, and more compellingly: the brutal defeat of Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner by General Zod and his family.

The planet Jekuul has two yellow suns, which may've boosted Zod's powers, but in today's fight -- it's Kilowog who's packing double the arsenal, having already stolen John Stewart's ring and added it to his own!

Will double the jewelry equal double the power for the physically imposing alien Green Lantern? Or could Superman do as he did with Hal Jordan and hold out long enough for the corrupting influence to leave Kilowog?

They fought on the same side when the Sinestro Corps brought Warworld and Anti-Monitor to Earth. Let's find out what happened when they fight each other!

The Tape: Superman Ranking: Superman (#3)

What Went Down...

Batman pushes himself off the dirt, still reeling from the sudden impact of a massive green energy blast that scattered he, Hal Jordan, and Superman across the desert.

The Bat tries to warn Superman of the threat coming from behind -- but it's already upon him! The alien Green Lantern, Kilowog, standing sneering with Superman's head firmly beneath his boot.

Possessed by the call of an unknown influence -- Kilowog unleashes the energy of two Green Lantern's rings upon a Superman who is apparently deaf to the message!

The blast of green energy - and mystery of the possessing call - keeps Superman rattled enough for Kilowog to punt him across the open desert!

Batman can only watch as Kilowog pursues the fight away from he and Hal Jordan -- a human Green Lantern who, until mere moments earlier, had also come under the spell of the mysterious mind-altering message, and turned against his friends.

Kilowog is swiftly upon The Man of Steel, who crash landed into a fringe area of a government alien-holding facility. The hulking Green Lantern looms over Superman, who sits stunned amongst twisted metal and a leaking pipe.

Kilowog grips Superman's head in his large fingertips and compels him to look within -- to the deeper subconscious of his inner psyche.

The mind games warp Superman's perception of himself -- so much so that when he gazes upon his own reflection in the pooling leak from the nearby pipe -- he doesn't see the usual chiseled features of himself. Instead, the strange piercing glare of a sinewy pink, fanged alien looks back -- a different version of himself!

Kilowog keeps pressing. Urging the Last Son of Krypton to "remember" his arrival on Earth. His "true" face when his rocket landed and the Kents discovered him a crying infant. The 'alien nature that's been inside him all along'.

As Batman catches up with the pair -- the damage is already done. Superman has been twisted by the same mysterious force warping friends into enemies. Believing himself to be an alien source of revulsion -- Superman turns on Batman!

"I'm tired of the way you look at me, like I don't belong. Sick of the fear in your eyes."

Superman's eyes glow a furious red -- charged with barely contained heat vision as he lifts Batman off the ground by his throat.

"Look at the way you attacked the Martian Manhunter. All the times he's risked his life for the people of this planet... but even now when you see him, you want to look away."

Kilowog stokes the fire of the Kryptonian's alienation, but the manipulation is balanced by Batman's choked reminder of a creed of 'strength tempered by truth and justice'.

The Man of Steel breaks his hold and tosses his friend aside with a hurried moment of renewed clarity: "Batman, get away. Now."

Kilowog expresses disappointment at Superman's supposed weakness -- his failure to accept superiority over humans. He charges the power of his two Green Lantern rings and prepares to do what the Kryptonian will not, but before he can kill The Batman -- Superman grabs him by the wrist and heads for the outer atmosphere!

While Superman grapples with Kilowog's ring arm amongst the stars -- Batman reconvenes with the human Lantern, Hal Jordan, to assess their situation from the planet below.

GL knows a tour through the Milky Way won't slow Kilowog down, but Batman looks to the sky with fear that the alien Green Lantern may not be the real threat.

Meanwhile, Superman continues to duke it out with Kilowog as they drift further away from the planet Earth.

The combatants tumble through space with rippling green energy dancing around them. The Man of Steel delivers a rising uppercut with his left fist! A stiff left cross keeps Kilowog reeling as they career towards the Earth's Moon!

Rocks and dust kick up in the low-gravity atmosphere as they smash into the Moon's crust. Green Lantern energy swirls around them while Kilowog rallies and throws his fists into a tangle of limbs.

Despite his mind being compelled by invisible hands -- Kilowog shows tremendous clarity about Superman's intention to keep their fighting fury from harming the innocent denizens of Earth. A dedication to protection that the Green Lantern's twisted mind now considers a terrible waste.

With his body encased in energy -- Kilowog delivers a left haymaker!

The blow sends Superman uncontrollably flying back across the Moonscape!

When the Green Lantern finally catches up with his opponent, he finds Superman on his knees in the dust of the lonely celestial satellite. He grants one final chance to heed the call of the "glorious" distant message that unites against humanity -- a message that drove Hal Jordan to kill Superman should he refuse.

Away from the "babble" of humanity - Superman does not refuse. Batman's fears are realised. Red heat vision streams from Superman's eyes as he turns with arched eyebrows and a tense jaw, rejecting his adopted humanity: "... from this moment forward, Earth belongs to anyone with the strength to TAKE IT."

The Hammer...

We're investigating the much-discussed match-up of Green Lantern versus Superman, but just like the battle in the previous chapter -- we come away without any concrete results.

Superman may have ended the fight on his knees, but neither Kilowog nor he did anything decisive enough to reach any convincing conclusions.

Instead, our featured fight played out as a battle of wills, with Superman succumbing to the same mind-altering alien influence that enthralls his opponent. This becomes another entry into the "Evil Superman" file -- even if a major component of our fight remains Superman's intent to protect others by taking the battle elsewhere. Always a welcome character-driven nuance.

As noted in The Tape section: These spotlights are inspired by discussions with DC Studios CEO & Co-Chairman, James Gunn, who ignited extensive debate and speculation across fandom after discussing the Green Lantern's powers relative to Superman's, during appearances on radio and podcasts.

Most fan talk has been focused on human GLs like Hal Jordan -- but we all know there's a lot more to The Corps than Sector 2814! I couldn't resist following up our previous entry with this widely overlooked battle featuring alien GL - Kilowog!

The burly Bolovaxian has been one of the neglected heroes here on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, despite being remembered fondly for his significance in the post-Crisis period of late eighties/early nineties DC Comics.

It was during that time that Kilowog crossed paths with Despero, helping the Justice League stop his violent rampage with an improvised device that switched the tyrant's mind with L-Ron -- trapping Despero in the robot's body.

If that episode wasn't galling enough for the villain -- he later found himself imprisoned on Oa by the Green Lanterns, having failed in another attempt at revenge against the League. Which ultimately brings him back to Earth in The Enemies Among Us, attempting to enact a new scheme against the Justice League, Green Lanterns, and Earth as a whole!

This time Despero is assisted by self-righteous, planet-conquering aliens he deceived into believing humans are morally unworthy of existence. They attempt to eradicate the species by turning Earth's powerful extra-terrestrial populus against humanity, allowing Despero to remain hidden throughout the earlier chapters, as the likes of Kilowog and Zook do the fighting against Superman, Batman, and another GL - John Stewart.

I've been enjoying revisiting issues of Superman/Batman with fresh eyes, but this story speaks to the series' inconsistency, particularly into the second year.

Jeph Loeb & Ed McGuinness launched the tandem title in 2003 with bombastic appeal and significance to mainline publishing, but after a Michael Turner-drawn origin story for a new post-Crisis Supergirl, the second year establishes a looser Silver Age approach that becomes even more potent in The Enemies Among Us.

The Mark Verheiden arc, splitting pencil duties between multiple artists, rests heavily on forgotten period references for the first few issues, and aside from some residual paranoia from the post-Identity Crisis years, it all feels a little too vague for its own good. A needless mystery that probably would've played out a lot better if it cut to the chase in about half as many issues.

Lost in this soup of mystery, action, and guest characters is the fleeting concept of a Superman whose origin is twisted into a very different alien story.

It's the kind of kooky boilerplate concept that feels right out of a classic issue of World's Finest, and while that might not seem like the most exciting plot, it has a good visual hook with the alien Superman (seen in his reflection), and might've been a useful way to sharpen the focus of the issue.

The horror of the 'alien Superman' was apparently strong enough to make the cover, where we can see Pa & Ma Kent horrified by the child they've discovered in its space pod, but the whole thing really only plays out over two pages. Granted, it's at least fun seeing Superman battle Green Lanterns in the guest parade, rather than a simpler issue built on a confused Man of Steel up against Batman.

The two title characters turning on each other, or their friends, is a consistently recurring trope throughout the Superman/Batman series. We saw the rivalry play out when Kryptonite Man possessed Batman, in the very appropriate meta Who Would Win? issue, and it will indeed happen again during the climax of The Enemies Among Us. A conflict for another day.

If you'd like to see more entries from Superman/Batman on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths be sure to drop a comment and consider getting involved on Patreon.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has been serving superhero smackdown for well over 750 fights and ranked more than 1000 of your favourite characters! If that sounds like a good thing to you -- I'd really appreciate it if you considered supporting the project. It's free to follow on Patreon, and a Tier 1 sub is a great, cheap way to support 100% man-made, farm fresh, fightin' niche content.

Explore more of your favourite characters and topics by following links throughout each article. You can also find a complete index in order of publisher, series, and issue number in the Secret Archive. A great way to increase your Intelligence stat!

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Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#3 (--) Superman [+1 draw]
#179 (+7) Green Lantern (Kilowog) [+1 draw]
#1 (--) Batman [+1 assist]

RANK & FILE: TOP 10 FEATURED FIGHTS OF 2025

Happy new year! Season 2025 of the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is officially over, which means it's time to take stock of the top fights of the year! Usually that means finding the best of our new entries, but since we had such a modest line-up -- this time Rank & File is looking at the Top 10 Fights of 2025 from the entire catalogue based on your interest! It's an all-in melee with well over 750 contenders and I can't believe we haven't always done it this way! So which fights reigned supreme in 2025? Let's crown a champ and rank the rest!

Hey! Before we continue the countdown! Don't forget to check out the 2025 Feature Fight Recap and find out which characters reigned supreme in the 2025 Rankings Recap. Still can't get enough? Return to the main page to find the latest from the Comic Book Fight Club, or explore hundreds of previous featured fights in the Secret Archive! If you like what you see and want to support a bigger & better Season 2026 - consider becoming a Tier 1 subscriber on Patreon or hit the Warbonds Top 10 level to take it to the next level and choose a topic for a future Rank & File! Can't afford it? It's free to become a Patreon member and access additional updates -- so join the fight!

#1 Freedom Fighters vs Superman & Batman (DC)
Issue: [Superman/Batman #15 (February 2005)]
Writer: [Jeph Loeb] Penciler: [Carlos Pacheco]
Featured Combatants: [Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Uncle Sam]

We begrudgingly find ourselves at the top of the list with the Elseworlds battle that just won't go away! Readers who follow the weekly trends on X & Discord know that this one always tends to come back to the top of the pops -- and I can only imagine why. In the gamut of alternate realities it's a pretty minor one, but its extreme violence, and tyrannical incarnations of Superman & Batman, may have made it seem a bigger deal to the bloodthirsty, unwashed masses than it really ought to be.

As you can probably detect -- I've soured on it over the years. The "Evil Superman" cliche has well and truly worn out its welcome, the multiverse has become an equally tedious and misappropriated concept, I'm tired of seeing heroes fighting each other instead of evil, and the image of Superman brutalizing Wonder Woman speaks to the ugliest aspects of our contemporary culture. It's all around much less fun than it was back in 2005, and I think there are many far superior choices to top the list.

#2 Thor vs Captain Marvel (Marvel/DC)
Issue: [Marvel versus DC #2 (March 1996)]
Writer: [Peter David] Penciler: [Claudio Castellini]
Featured Combatants: [Thor, Captain Marvel]

They called it the "Showdown of the Century" and the mid-nineties crossover epic of DC versus Marvel and Marvel versus DC continues to be one of the most popular topics here in the 21st century! The specific match-ups come in and out of favour, but as DC & Marvel launched a new wave of crossovers in 2025 with Deadpool/Batman -- it was the god-like dream match of Thor versus Captain Marvel that shot to the top of our list!

This one served as the opening bout of the 1996 crossover supercard and was emblematic of the event as a whole. Thor is firmly rooted to a short-lived, redesigned grunge era specific to that time, and Captain Marvel suffers a defeat that many fans still consider to be controversial. It's not perfect, but it's far from the most divisive battle the event featured. I like some of the ideas present and the way the significance of lightning to both characters plays a major part in the result. It's a match-up I might like to see revisited in 2026, but this time it might be Captain Marvel (aka; Shazam) who suffers the times.

#3 Bane vs Batman (DC)
Issue: [Batman #497 (July 1993)]
Writer: [Doug Moench] Penciler: [Jim Aparo]
Featured Combatants: [Bane, Batman]

Rounding out the Top 3 is another evergreen event battle from the nineteen nineties! Everyone has heard of the moment Bane broke The Bat, but we've gotta imagine there are now some curious readers who have never actually witnessed it first-hand. Some of those may be young readers discovering the rivalry through its latest adaptation in DC's Absolute Batman -- a pumped-up, bombastic, juvenile spin on a classic.

The influence of early nineties comics and headline-grabbing stunts like Knightfall (and Death of Superman) can still be felt in a lot of contemporary releases -- a fate many likely held misgivings about, all those years ago. While breaking Bruce Wayne's back may remain divisive for some, the original text holds up as the culmination of a brutal gauntlet through Gotham City's villains, and a bold confirmation of Bane as a more compelling and cunning character than some of his lesser derivations. There are some fights that command everyone's attention by mutual agreement - and this is one of those.

#4 Deathstroke vs Green Arrow (DC)
Issue: [Green Arrow #62 (July 2006)]
Writer: [Judd Winick] Penciler: [Scott McDaniel]
Recent Combatants: [Green Arrow, Deathstroke]

Climbing the charts right up to the final days of the year is a slightly less well known, but no less thrilling grudge match between mortal vigilante and enhanced masked man. In the years since Green Arrow #62 the rivalry between Green Arrow and Deathstroke has only grown, finding its way into the live-action Arrow series, and lodging firmly in the minds of fans of both characters.

This is a curio from the period of time when Oliver Queen was elected Mayor of Star City and shows a fine example of his tactical cunning and expansion into fighting techniques beyond the bow & arrow. Having enjoyed Judd Winick's time on Green Arrow, I'm personally thrilled to see this one making it onto our list, and enduring as we approach a major milestone of twenty years since its publication. These are the kinds of entries that we aim to serve and provide interesting context for both characters.

#5 Nextwave vs Fin Fang Foom (Marvel)
Issue: [Nextwave #2 (April 2006)]
Writer: [Warren Ellis] Penciler: [Stuart Immonen]
Featured Combatants: [Fin Fang Foom, Photon, Elsa Bloodstone, Boomer, Machine Man, The Captain]

Digging deeper into the box of curiosities is a very unexpected entry! Nextwave was an exciting slapstick of rubbery absurdity and internet-era superhero silliness that shook Marvel from the fringes. It made an instant impression -- fending off obnoxiousness, while refreshing a cast of characters who had fallen through the cracks by the mid-2000s.

I'm not sure Elsa Bloodstone would be the cult-favourite she is now, appearing in the Marvel Rivals video game and live-action Werewolf By Night special, without this integral inclusion working alongside: a neglected Monica Rambeau, Futurama-esque revamp of Machine Man, bubblegum revival for X-Force's Boom Boom, and Gorillaz-flavoured introduction of The Captain. Having their own theme song didn't hurt, but it was Stuart Immonen's vibrant visuals, and a kaiju big battle against Fin Fang Foom, that gave the series its instant success and most memorable moment.

#6 Supergirl vs Gorilla Grodd (DC)
Issue: [Supergirl #3 (November 1996)]
Writer: [Peter David] Penciler: [Gary Frank]
Featured Combatants: [Matrix, Gorilla Grodd]

Supergirl's imminent return to the big screen in Woman of Tomorrow saw her exploits tearing up the charts throughout 2025.  There was that infamous cameo in Superman to talk about, but we were all about the comics, which weren't always all about Kara Zor-El!...

As readers discovered in this now-classic entry from the late Peter David's run on the series; this was the time before Superman's cousin was re-introduced into a post-Crisis DC Universe. Don't worry about all that mess, though. The stakes were as high as ever as Gorilla Grodd began another campaign to turn humanity into damn dirty apes! Only this version of Supergirl could stand against him to save the town of Leesburg, which made it a nice newly topical entry here on the site.

#7 Wrecking Crew vs Deadpool, Spider-Man & Punisher (Marvel)
Issue: [Deadpool: Suicide Kings #5 (October 2009)]
Writer: [Mike Benson & Adam Glass] Penciler: [Carlo Barberi]
Featured Combatants: [Deadpool, Spider-Man, The Wrecker, Punisher]

It's not always easy for new featured fights to compete with seasoned Wikipedia sources and popular mainstays, but the drawing power of a superhero team-up between Deadpool, Spider-Man and The Punisher managed to achieve that feat! Yes! We can officially count an update from the past year as one of your favourite battles for 2025!

Actually part of a series spotlighting The Wrecker -- it was an exploration of what happens when so-called "street level" heroes cross the path of magically enchanted super heavyweights! The Wrecking Crew are notorious for throwing down with the likes of Thor, but in this very fun mini-series from 2009, they're hittin the streets in service of another of my favourite Marvel villains -- Tombstone!

#8 Genocide vs Wonder Woman (DC)
Issue: [Wonder Woman #32 (July 2009)]
Writer: [Gail Simone] Penciler: [Aaron Lopresti]
Featured Combatants: [Wonder Woman, Genocide]

Wonder Woman faces one of her deadliest and most vile adversaries in this flashback to a hot period for the series that combined classic Amazonian superheroics with a horrifying new threat! When it comes to smash mouth 2000s battles featuring one of DC's premiere icons -- this is one of the more palatable entries you could revisit!

Genocide was Wonder Woman's dark mirror, created by evil magics from clay gathered at the sites of some of Earth's greatest atrocities. Genocide occupies a villainous status somewhere between Bizarro and Doomsday, expanding Wonder Woman's rogue's gallery with the ultimate physical opponent. These days Wonder Woman herself has evolved into a more aggressive challenger, but I've got an affection for this run, with Simone writing, and Aaron Lopresti superbly inked by Matt Ryan.

#9 DC vs Marvel (DC/Marvel)
Issue: [DC versus Marvel #1 & #4, Marvel versus DC #2-3 (February-May 1996)]
Writer: [Ron Marz & Peter David] Artists: [Dan Jurgens & Claudio Castellini]
Featured Combatants: [Superman, Hulk, Batman, Captain America, Scarlet Spider, Superboy, Juggernaut, Bullseye, Bane, Metallo, Mole Man, Darkseid, Thanos]

It was the crossover conflict so big it occupies two entries into our Top 10 popular picks for the year! Truth be told, in years gone by, we probably would've spent the entire list talking about DC and Marvel's mid-nineties dream matches! Such is the power of seeing some of comics' biggest icons cross company lines for the "Showdown of the Century"!

Two Deadpool & Batman specials published in 2025 opened the door to the first collected reprints of four decades worth of crossovers -- reigniting interest in the now-classic 1996 conflict! Our round-up of all the official match-ups, as well as some obscure skirmishes that happened around them, was a foundational entry for Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, and for many years a go-to source cited by Wikipedia and other websites! While the individual matches are more compelling in their focus -- there really is no bigger fight than that of the DC Universe against the Marvel Universe!

#10 Supergirl vs Lex Luthor (DC)
Issue: [Supergirl #3 (December 2005)]
Writer: [Jeph Loeb] Penciler: [Ian Churchill]
Featured Combatants: [Supergirl, Lex Luthor]

Rounding out our list is another hyper-violent entry from the mid-2000s -- and a battle many are hoping to see on the big screen when the live-action DC Universe begins to unfold from 2025's Superman, into this year's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

The DC cinematic universe will draw from very different sources for their first solo fight with Kara Zor-El, but this featured fight revisits an interesting time when DC Comics themselves had to figure out how to start Supergirl's story anew. She hadn't been included in the DCU after rebooting with Crisis on Infinite Earths and her arrival on the new Earth proved bumpy as she encountered friends & foes, and learned a harsh lesson when she answered the call of Lex Luthor! A brutal battle to finish our list, but you'll find even more spectacular near-misses below, and in the complete 750+ battle archive.

Bringing Up The Rear:

Werewolf By Night vs Hulk, Chun-Li vs Vega, Fantastic Four vs Gladiator, Zatanna vs Zor, Zangief vs Rainbow Mika & Sakura, Storm vs Callisto, Hulk vs Superman, Hulk vs Sentry

Remember: The Rank & File Top 10 is typically determined by recorded win/loss rankings -- or other data, such as a year's worth of traffic. What was your favourite entry of Season 2025? What do you hope to see in 2026? Share your Top 10 Battles of 2025 in the comments below, hit me up on Twitter [aka; X], and become a Patreon subscriber to choose the next Rank & File Top 10 topic!

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