ANNUAL PUNCH-UP: 2018 CHARACTER RANKINGS RECAP

Every battle featured on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths contributes to a spinal column that is the Fight Club Rankings! Characters move up and down the ranks based on every win, loss, and draw. Real-time updates now appear at the bottom of featured fights, but with the end of the year we can take stock of the big picture!

2018 was packed full of surprises, with many heroes facing defeat, and very little action at the top of the list. Thanos was the biggest mover of the year, decimating his way into the Top 10 with a special spotlight on Infinity Gauntlet!

Significant gains were made further down the list by an eclectic cadre of stand-outs: Gladiator, Mar-Vell, Siryn, Goliath, Vulture, Domino, Typhoid Mary, and Steel Serpent. There were major declines, as well, with a significant drop felt by: Enchantress, Cloak, Demogoblin, and The Flash. A Marvel heavy year generally worked against DC, but Green Lantern and Aquaman vied for the #20 spot, with Orion recording the biggest increase for a DC character with +81. It's worth noting that 2018 was also the first year in Secret Wars on Infinite Earths history to go without featuring perennial #1: Batman!

The list below spotlights the many characters who made appearances in 2018. This includes featured fights and Hero of the Week. We shattered 900 ranked characters this year! You can compare and contrast by looking back at the 2017 Rankings Recap. Remember: Some movement is incidental.

#1 (--) Batman (Bruce Wayne)
#2 (--) Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
#3 (--) Iron Man (Tony Stark)
#4 (--) Wolverine (James "Logan" Howlett)
#5 (--) Superman (Kal-El)
#6 (--) Hulk (Bruce Banner)
#7 (--) Captain America (Steve Rogers)
#8 (--) Power Man (Luke Cage)
#9 (+342) Thanos
#10 (-1) Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards)
#11 (-1) Thing (Benjamin Grimm)
#12 (-1) Invisible Woman (Susan Storm)
#13 (-1) Daredevil (Matt Murdock)
#14 (-1) Human Torch (Johnny Storm)
#15 (-1) Wonder Woman (Diana)
#16 (+2) Venom Symbiote
#17 (-2) The Flash (Barry Allen)
#18 (-2) Iron Fist (Danny Rand)
#19 (-2) Nightwing (Dick Grayson)
#20 (+8) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
#21 (+37) Aquaman (Arthur Curry)
#22 (-3) Deadpool (Wade Wilson)
#25 (-2) Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz)
#26 (-2) Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange)
#27 (-5) Sub-Mariner (Namor McKenzie)
#29 (-3) The Flash (Wally West)
#30 (-3) Steel (John Henry Irons)
#33 (-2) Hawkman (Carter Hall)
#35 (-2) Silver Surfer (Norrin Radd)
#42 (+69) Venom (Eddie Brock)
#43 (-3) Red Hood (Jason Todd)
#46 (+24) Wasp (Janet Van Dyne)
#47 (-4) Juggernaut (Cain Marko)
#49 (+78) Black Panther (T'Challa)
#52 (+23) Bronze Tiger (Ben Turner)
#54 (-6) Winter Soldier (James "Bucky" Barnes)
#60 (+31) Jessica Jones
#64 (-7) Morbius (Michael Morbius)
#65 (+31) Deathstroke (Slade Wilson)
#68 (-7) Captain Marvel Jr (Freddy Freeman)
#72 (+42) Deadshot (Floyd Lawton)
#73 (+45) Vixen (Marie McCabe)
#75 (-12) Doctor Light (Arthur Light)
#76 (-9) Cyclops (Scott Summers)
#77 (-9) Doctor Doom (Victor Von Doom)
#78 (-8) Raiden
#83 (-8) Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff)
#84 (-8) Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)
#86 (new) Terraxia
#91 (+84) Orion
#100 (-8) Vindicator (Heather Hudson)
#101 (+198) Domino (Neena Thurman)
#102 (+125) Steel Serpent (Davos)
#105 (+21) Nova (Richard Rider)
#108 (-5) Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
#110 (-11) Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)
#111 (-6) Cable (Nathaniel Summers)
#116 (-9) Superboy (Connor Kent)
#119 (-9) Captain Marvel (Billy Batson)
#120 (-7) Red Lantern (Guy Gardner)
#121 (-9) Phoenix (Jean Grey)
#122 (+3) Drax (Arthur Douglas)
#126 (-24) Sinestro (Thaal Sinestro)
#134 (+249) Siryn (Teresa Cassidy)
#135 (+33) Bizarro
#140 (-7) Beta Ray Bill
#142 (+143) Typhoid Mary (Mary Walker)
#152 (new) Aquagirl (Tula)
#169 (+269) Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell)
#170 (+271) Gladiator (Kallark)
#200 (-8) Doppelganger
#300 (-5) Blockbuster (Mark Desmond)
#311 (new) Captain Comet (Adam Blake)
#313 (new) Ghost (Unknown)
#314 (new) Mister Negative (Martin Li)
#315 (new) Dolphin (Unknown)
#317 (new) Rag Doll (Peter Merkel)
#320 (-9) Champion of the Universe (Tryco Slatterus)
#323 (-188) The Flash (Jay Garrick)
#326 (+208) Vulture (Adrian Toomes)
#364 (+216) Goliath (Bill Foster)
#367 (-57) Ghost Rider (Dan Ketch)
#380 (-21) Vision
#384 (-19) Scorpion (Mac Gargan)
#386 (-13) Solomon Grundy (Cyrus Gold)
#387 (-19) She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)
#388 (-19) Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff)
#392 (-15) The Joker
#400 (-14) Equus
#421 (new) Eradicator
#500 (-14) Doctor Yinsen (Prof. Ho Yinsen)
#544 (new) Danny Peyer
#545 (new) Misty Knight
#549 (-21) Dracula
#554 (new) Mera
#555 (-64) Ocean Master (Orm Marius)
#565 (new) Tempest (Garth)
#600 (-21) Hulkling (Dorrek Vill)
#700 (-19) Gruagach
#800 (-19) Professor Thorton (Truett Hudson)
#828 (-19) Batwoman (Kate Kane)
#860 (-19) Brainiac (Vril Dox)
#862 (new) Klaw (Ulysses Klaw)
#863 (new) Stalnoivolk (Ivan Gort)
#864 (new) Quasar (Wendell Vaughn)
#865 (new) Kingsize
#866 (new) Doctor Nemesis (Michael Stockton)
#867 (new) Black Manta (David Hyde)
#869 (new) Thunderstrike (Eric Masterson)
#870 (new) Firelord (Pyreus Kril)
#873 (-11) Electro (Maxwell Dillon)
#874 (-342) Enchantress (June Moone)
#878 (-29) Red Skull (Johann Schmidt)
#881 (-212) Demogoblin
#882 (-305) Cloak (Tyrone Johnson)
#888 (-31) Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond)
#890 (-31) Metallo (John Corben)
#900 (-30) Kingpin (Wilson Fisk)
#903 (-30) Falcon (Sam Wilson)
#907 (-29) Toad (Mortimer Toynbee)
#908 (-29) Red Hulk (Gen. Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross)
#909 (-29) Brick (Daniel Brickwell)
#910 (-29) Killer Croc (Waylon Jones)
#911 (-34) Lady Deathstrike (Yuriko Oyama)
#912 (-30) Dan Hibiki
#913 (-30) Lizard (Dr. Curt Connors)
#914 (-30) Zangief
#915 (-30) Sabretooth (Victor Creed)
#916 (-30) Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff)
#DNR Flash Gordon
#DNR Mon-El (Lar Gand)
#DNR Piccolo
#DNR Killmonger (Erik Killmonger)
#DNR Rogol Zaar
#DNR The Chief (Niles Caulder)
#DNR Spawn (Al Simmons)
#DNR Omega Red (Arkady Rossovich)

DOCTOR LIGHT versus GREEN LANTERN

The Ghost of Christmas Light (Marvel)
Where: Green Lantern #36 When: February 1993
Why: Gerard Jones How: Gene Ha

The Story So Far...
Hal Jordan's heading home for the holidays, bringing best pal Carol Ferris to the Jordan Family Christmas at his brother Jim's! A magical flight in sets the season off to a perfect start, but hidden within the majestic Northern Lights is the malicious manifestation of Doctor Light!

With his powers ever-expanding since experiencing death; Light no longer needs a physical form! He exists as a being of pure light, passing through particles and wavelengths as he searches for purpose and power. Finding himself drawn to the ethereal glow of the Green Lantern's power ring, the villain is on a course to crash the party!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Doctor Light 5 (Professor)
Speed: Doctor Light 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Green Lantern 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Green Lantern 4 (Trained)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Green Lantern 27 (Metahuman)

Doctor Light has developed a bit of a reputation for being a chump, but he's undergone several transformations over the years that've enhanced, focused, and unlocked his light-based powers! In today's fight he's fresh from being spat right out of Hell -- and more at-one with light than ever before!

In past featured fights we've seen Arthur Light channel, control, and project light, such as: his team-up with Mirror Master against The League of Titans in Final Crisis #1, or attack on the Fortress of Solitude in Superman/Batman #43.

After his rejection from Hell: Doctor Light realized the ability to surrender his physical form and become light! This adds a new spectrum to his potentially deadly arsenal as he travels instantly through light while bending it to his will!

Fortunately, Green Lantern is no stranger to battling opponents who cast opposing light. The fearless Hal Jordan continues to clash with the likes of Larfleeze [Green Lantern #42] and a Parallax possessed Kyle Rayner [Green Lantern #24], to say nothing of his arch-nemesis Sinestro, who was finished off in a fistfight without the use of power ring projections in Green Lantern #25!

It's a good thing Jordan knows how to throw a punch when he can't rely on green hard-light constructs, too! When Doctor Light was part of The Society, we saw him literally extract the light-based powers of The Ray in Infinite Crisis #1!

The Black Lantern Martian Manhunter was also able to use intangibility, speed, and deceptive projections to beat both Flash and GL in Green Lantern #44.

To make matters even worse: these are the days before Parallax, which means Green Lantern power rings are still unable to act against anything yellow! We saw Professor Zoom pierce GL's light shields with common yellow objects in Green Lantern #40, and Golden Roc cause some trouble in Secret Origins #32!

if Doctor Light can exploit the fullest of his unlocked light-manipulation powers to move fast and create holograms and mirages -- he just might test the GL oath of might on a brightest day! Let's see how the Christmas clash went!

The Tape: Green Lantern Ranking: Green Lantern (#30)

What Went Down...
Christmas merriment turns to terror when the Jordan family's decorative lights leap from the tree and begin strangling Jim "Santa Claus" Jordan!

Within each globe gleams a cackling face and it doesn't take brother Hal long to figure out the most likely culprit. With a flash of his ring he dons the uniform of the Green Lantern and races to rescue his brother from Doctor Light!

The tendrils of colored lights wrap around GL, holding a yellow globe at his throat as the villain demands the green "supernal light" of the ring. Green Lantern struggles as the wiring wraps tighter around his throat.

As the family wonders how such a powerful hero could be challenged -- little Howie races to unplug the lights from the electrical socket. The strategy is a good one, but Doctor Light charges the globes to fire a laser that tags the boy on the shoulder and sets him aflame!

Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned! While Carrol Ferris tends to the boy, Sue Jordan flies into a rage -- launching herself at the malicious decorations! Lasers beam wildly from the coils wrapped around GL's body, but her sudden assault pays off. The Lantern coaches her to strip the yellow bulbs and free his green light to slice through the power chord!

The Christmas tree becomes a raging torch, but the peril seems to pass as Green Lantern directs the family to leave the house. He promises to collect the unconscious Santa and "guy in the Hall", maintaining the façade of a secret identity, but as he does -- he fails to notice a materializing figure!

The unexpected blast of the Doctor's solid-light beam knocks Green Lantern clean out of the air! It's enough to put the hero on his keister, but he's far from out. With a sling of his power ring he challenges Doctor Light to fight in the dark -- obscuring his eyes with a hard-light block from his ring, while taking his legs out with the mocking form of a flash light!

The villain concedes to taunts that he was always a lightweight, but Green Lantern has drastically under estimated the threat he presently faces!

While GL turns his attentions to snuffing the tree fire with a rug, Light dematerializes his way out of his blinders, and refracts himself into a one-man army of five Doctors Light!

The refracted Light brigade beats and batters an unprepared hero with a barrage of fists! They surround him, forming a chorus line of four who kick him back to the ground!

Even Light himself cannot answer the mystery of what's become of him since death. It hardly matters! He once again demands the power and knowledge of the Green Lantern's "light of unearthly perfection". GL obliges, using his ring to smack Doctor Light over the head with a lamp. The Lights furiously converge!

Glowing with yellow light, the Doctor issues an indignant ultimatum: Give him access to the green light - or "die in yellow agony!"

Engulfed in blistering yellow light - the Green Lantern is seemingly out of options, but a wry smile betrays his confidence! He summons his battery and gives Doctor Light a window to the source of a Green Lantern's power. It's exactly what he wanted -- but all is not as it seems!

Like the proverbial genie: Doctor Light is sucked into the battery! There, he will have his wish to be one with the light -- trapped within it!

The Hammer...
Just when you think you're out - they suck you right back in! A little bit of a cheap victory for Green Lantern in the end, but if you live by the light - I guess you die by it, too! Or at least... get sucked into the prison of a cosmic battery your light-based essence cannot escape from!

After a mostly comical stint with the Suicide Squad (that also ended with his temporary death), this was the story that finally put Doctor Light on ice.

I've always liked the idea that the Suicide Squad was the last refuge for characters who were on the chopping block. It kinda seems like that was the case for Light. As I say often, I've never been the biggest Teen Titans fan, and a guy with a silly hat who terrorizes kids with lightshows can seem a tad pathetic.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, Doctor Light didn't escape the Green Lantern's battery for over three years! By that time, Kyle Rayner had taken over the gig - and that's a battle I hope to come back to some time in the near future!

Consider this installment the first part in a fine example of what should be done with villains who've out stayed their welcome, or seemingly warn out their use. As we'll see in the future issue of Green Lantern: they can always be brought back with a spiffy new coat of paint. Although, considering where Doctor Light would wind up another decade later, the results may not always be lasting...

I didn't really pick this battle to talk about Doctor Light. Truth be told, I've had it on the To Do list for the last couple of Decembers, but something always gets in the way. In fact, this year I spent a whole lot of my Christmas working on the relaunch of Mortal Kombat Online, and now I'm sick! I was pretty determined to sneak this one through before the year ended, though. So here we are!

I wouldn't call Green Lantern #36 a uniquely important Holiday issue, but it's got a very nice balance of elements. In essence it's a sweet family gathering. The Jordan Family Christmas episode of the series, showing Hal Jordan in the fairly unusual environment of a domestic setting. Relatable, believable.

Of course, it wouldn't be a superhero's family gathering without some sort of big super-villain fight, and that breaks things up nicely!

As noted, the use of this particular villain holds extra weight given his increased powers, and his ultimate shelving afterward. Although, while it's interesting to think the character may've been on the way out, the issue doesn't actually read specifically like a swansong. Being trapped in GL's battery is a fairly temporary predicament, and the exploration of Doctor Light's powers opens things up.

There is a more deliberate sense of ominous mortality in the story, though.

For one, Green Lantern fights wearing a black arm band for Superman, who'd just been killed off in Death of Superman a month prior. The personalized presence of his family is also playing towards their ultimate deaths, at the end of '93, when Mongul and Cyborg Superman bring about the destruction of Coasty City, and the turn of Green Lantern into Parallax.

Whoa. What a downer! Fortunately, GL #36 isn't itself a downer at all and this fight was a lot of fun to go back to! I hope it brought our year of superhero smackdown to a fitting, belated Christmas close!

Technically Secret Wars on Infinite Earths ends the year in November, so you can check out the Top 20 Featured Fights determined by readers - or get all the gems that didn't make the cut by checking out the complete 2018 Feature Fight Recap! I've gotta tell ya, a lot of my favourites missed the Best Of this year so it's well worth your while digging into the full recap!

Just to be delightfully eccentric and inconsistent - the Annual Rankings Recap spans January to December, so fans who love to see where all the heroes land after we record these fights won't want to miss that! Today's battle has shot Green Lantern back up the list to #20! Hard luck for Aquaman, down to #21!

A big thanks to everyone who's been reading and sharing links throughout the year. A lot of great folks on Twitter have been hitting those retweet and likes! Don't forget Facebook and Google+ button at the bottom of every post! This weird world of superhero fights is something I like to do, but it's always nice to know somebody else is getting something out of it too! Happy new year!

Winner: Green Lantern
#20 (+10) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
#75 (-5) Doctor Light
#547 (new) Sue Jordan [+1 assist]

COVER TO COVER: 2018 TOP 20 FEATURE FIGHTS!

Seasons greetings and happy holidays, true believers! Technically a year of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths ends with November, but for the last month: readers have had extra time to vote with their fingers for the Top 20 fights from the 2018 Feature Fight Recap!

The order was changing right to the last minute -- with some surprise packages darting their way into the history, and a lot of gems missing out -- but at last we're ready to count down the biggest battles and most exciting smackdown of the year! You can revisit each one by hitting the covers below, or scroll past them for a simple list ranking the Top 20 by number and battle!

In a year of Avengers: Infinity War, it will surprise no one to find multiple entries from the fabled fight sequence of Infinity Gauntlet #4. Yet! The order of popularity for each skirmish may still surprise, with the #1 fight for 2018 coming from unique interest in the being Thanos conjured from his cosmic might, to be his "perfect" bride: Terraxia!

As you'll soon see, it was also a big year for: Superman, Black Panther, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, Thing & Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Orion, Hawkman, Jessica Jones, Deadshot, Wasp, Gladiator, Scorpion, Enchantress, Sub-Mariner, Cloak, Quasar, Action Comics, Stan Lee, John Byrne, and more! Hit the links below to see them all - and be sure to check out the 2018 Recap for extra gold! (Some of my personal faves did not make the cut!)

Behind The Covers
1. TERRAXIA vs IRON MAN: Infinity Gauntlet #4
2. WOLVERINE vs THANOS: Infinity Gauntlet #4
3. CAPTAIN MARVEL vs SUPERMAN: Action Comics Annual #4
4. SUPERMAN vs ORION: Action Comics #586
5. BLACK PANTHER vs ULYSSES KLAW: Fantastic Four #53
6. BLACK PANTHER vs THING: Fantastic Four #52
7. HAWKMAN & CAPTAIN COMET vs SINESTRO: Secret Society of Super-Villains #5
8. WOLVERINE vs BLACK PANTHER: Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #3
9. CAPTAIN MARVEL vs THING: Captain Marvel #35
10. SCARLET WITCH, CYCLOPS, IRON MAN & VISION vs THANOS: Infinity Gauntlet #4
11. IRON MAN, THOR, FIRELORD & SUB-MARINER vs THANOS: Infinity Gauntlet #4
12. JESSICA JONES vs SCORPION: Alias #23
13. CLOAK vs THANOS: Infinity Gauntlet #4
14. VISION, SUB-MARINER & SHE-HULK vs THANOS: Infinity Gauntlet #4
15. QUASAR vs THANOS: Infinity Gauntlet #4
16. HULK & DRAX vs THANOS: Infinity Gauntlet #4
17. DEADSHOT vs ENCHANTRESS: Suicide Squad #6
18. KINGSIZE vs WASP: Marvel Super Heroes #3
19. FANTASTIC FOUR vs GLADIATOR: Fantastic Four #249
20. THOR, DOCTOR DOOM & FIRELORD vs THANOS: Infinity Gauntlet #4

HERO OF THE WEEK: PHOENIX (Marvel)
Real Name: Jean Grey
First Appearance: X-Men #1 (September, 1963)
Fight Club Ranking: #121

Featured Fights:
- vs BROTHERHOOD OF EVIL MUTANTS: X-Men #6 (Jul 1964)
- vs AHAB & THE HOUNDS: X-Men Annual #14 (1990)
- vs MAGNETO: X-Men #25 (Oct 1993)
- vs ONSLAUGHT: Onslaught: X-Men #1 (Aug 1996)
- vs EXECUTIONER: Marvel: Heroes & Legends #1 (Oct 1996)
- vs SHI'AR IMPERIAL GUARD: New X-Men #124 (May 2002)
- vs XORN: New X-Men #150 (Feb 2004)

I finally got around to watching the new Hellboy trailer, and as tempting as it is to talk about that, I'd just be echoing sentiments I already shared last year. I'd rather look ahead to something more exciting and positive, and in FOX's Dark Phoenix - there is tremendous hope in its great unknowns!

By and large this is being viewed as a swansong for the world begun with 2000's X-Men. The Disney acquisition of Fox Studios will be complete some time next year, and there's significant anticipation for how the X-Men will be renewed as part of Marvel Studios' shared cinematic universe.

That it's all seemingly ending on a cosmic stage with Phoenix seems perfect for blending the X-Men into the bigger Marvel picture, but the powers-that-be have repeatedly told fans there are no such plans, and I think it's probably best to assume there aren't. After all, it's very rare that Marvel films actually go for the jugular when it comes to world-building, or cool comic book-style surprises.

Truth be told, it's probably a good thing. For one: any future incorporation of the X-Men into the MCU should be well considered. More importantly: Dark Phoenix is a story that's part of its own continuum and should be watched and enjoyed by those terms. It warrants our undivided attention.

Of course, there's still plenty to speculate about within those parameters. Where there's Dark Phoenix, there's the emotionally charged confrontation with the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. Given Bryan Singer's propensity for Star Trek, it seems hopeful that an intergalactic alien space empire might have a shot of making it to the big screen, and with Singer out of the director's chair - it might even be a fun, colourful experience, more in keeping with the highlight that was X-Men: First Class.

I know I probably shouldn't, but I'm getting excited for the prospect of Gladiator. There don't seem to be any powerhouses in the film's 1992 line-up, so the presumption that the uber-powerful praetor might square-off with Phoenix herself is a pretty enticing notion.

There isn't much of anything to support the notion that the X-Men will go up against aliens in Dark Phoenix. The regrettable X-Men: The Last Stand already told us Jean Grey's dark manifestation in the movies was psychological in nature. Yet, the assertion that next year's movie aims to do the story better justice inevitably leads one to think about what Chris Claremont and John Byrne put on the page. The ambiguity surrounding Colossus actor Daniel Cudmore's return also tickles at a Gladiator theory.

It feels like there's still so much unknown about Dark Phoenix - and that's exciting! I haven't loved everything about FOX's tenure as keepers of the X-Men, but their willingness to branch out into weird and wonderful extensions has been a thrill that distinguishes from Marvel's formulaic repetition. 2011's sleeper X-Men: First Class turned out to be an unlikely highlight for all superhero cinema. Movies like Deadpool and The Wolverine showed promise for where it was all going.

I'm looking forward to finding out more about Dark Phoenix in the new year, before it's theatrical release in July. Here's hoping it's worthy of providing our Hero of the Week!

<< Hero of the Week: Scarlet Witch     [Home]      Hero of the Week 12/17: Black Manta >>

FLASH versus KID FLASH

Meet Kid Flash (DC)
Where: The Flash TV Special #1 When: 1991 Why: Mark Waid How: David Williams & Darick Robertson

The Story So Far...
When a freak lightning bolt struck police forensic scientist Barry Allen and threw him into a shelf of laboratory chemicals - his life was changed forever!

With the help of STAR Labs scientist Tina McGee; Barry discovered his body chemistry and metabolism was radically altered, granting him the gift of moving at super-human speeds!

Wearing a high-tech, heat-resistant suit designed by STAR Labs, Barry uses his powers to fight crime in Central City as The Flash! Tina continues to aide him in his mission, but when she attempts to understand his transformation further by recreating his origins in the lab -- a criminal on the run accidentally receives the same powers! Now The Flash must race to stop a super-fast crime-spree!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: The Flash 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: The Flash 5 (Professor)
Speed: The Flash 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: The Flash 6 (Generator)
Agility: The Flash 2 (Average)
Fighting: The Flash 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: The Flash 1 (None)
Total: The Flash 27 (Metahuman)

When the nineties dawned on DC Comics - Barry Allen had already sacrificed himself to save all existence in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8. Five years had made him the stuff of legend -- that is, until television brought the Silver Age Scarlet Speedster back to life for a twenty-two episode, live-action series on CBS!

The Flash on television was a pretty respectable adaptation, enjoying the same basic origin of a lightning bolt striking the police scientist onto shelves of chemicals. There were a few key differences our Tape stats (based on an iconic definition of the character) don't reflect, though.

His speed, though impressive, was not quite what you'd find in the comics. He vibrated his molecules through solid matter once or twice, but usually relied on fast-paced antics, such as tying people up, or throwing things. The reality of it was made-for-TV special effects, but you can also put some of this down to this being pretty early in the character's superhero career.

This Flash was also susceptible to bouts of fatigue and weakness, essentially suffering from acute hypoglycemia due to his altered metabolism. He managed his blood sugar through eating, and it became less of a concern as the series progressed.

Kid Flash did not appear during the lone season. As we're about to learn, Vince Everett is a notorious juvenile delinquent skirting justice because of his young age. He's about to be charged as an adult when he runs afoul an experiment to recreate The Flash's origins at STAR Labs. The result is a second speedster!

The Flash is no stranger to going up against equals in the comics. We've seen Barry Allen race against Savitar [Flash: Rebirth #1], Lady Flash [Flash: Rebirth #2], Superman [Flash: Rebirth #3], and Professor Zoom [Flash: Rebirth #4]! On the show, he met his own genetically-engineered duplicate, Pollux, in Episode 18: the Lenny Van Dohlen starring Twin Streaks.

You'd expect inexperience to trip up any new would-be speedsters in the TV universe. Even with youthful exuberance, Everett should eventually succumb to the same metabolic weaknesses experienced in Barry Allen's early adventures.

The Tape: The Flash Ranking: The Flash (#17)

What Went Down...
Speeding criminal, Vince Everett, blazes by a patrol car with his newfound super-human swiftness. The cops manage to call ahead for a roadblock...

... but nearby road repairs provide a pile of gravel -- deadly high-speed shrapnel in the hands of a super-humanly fast pitcher! Cops dive for cover as the tearing fragments ignite gasoline tanks and cause their cars to explode!

The Flash arrives on the scene to stop Everett before he kills somebody, but finds it hard to lay hands on the junior speedster. Everett keeps on step ahead of his fast-running foe, carelessly tearing through a kid's lemonade stand!

Flash stops to catch the airborne kids and rescue their produce all in the blink of an eye! It provides the self-proclaimed "Kid Flash" the distraction he needs to come up with a name and snatch the emblem from The Flash's chest!

Exhausted by his heroics, The Flash can only watch as Central City's newest runner makes a high-speed getaway!

The Hammer...

Not exactly a triumphant foray into The Flash's television past, but I'm a little short for time this week, and I'm hoping we'll get a chance to talk more about the show in the future. Round 1 goes to Kid Flash, but Round 2 waits!

Like a lot of fans, I was pretty excited to see John Wesley Shipp back in the red suit for CW's Elseworlds crossover. We talked about that a couple of months ago in Hero of the Week. Today, I'm going all in on nostalgia!

As a big fan of the show - I actually picked up The Flash TV Special, on the cheap, a few years ago. I don't remember it on shelves in '91, so I was curious to see if it picked up the slack with a more comic-style story the TV show couldn't pull off. Kid Flash gets close, but still feels very in-keeping with the show's stripped back style of superhero action. Which is to say, what worked on the screen reads a little passé on the page.

I'm not sure I can adequately convey how excited I was when commercials started airing for The Flash. I'm not sure I'm even capable of those levels of excitement any more! I was already a Flash fan from comics, and the mostly faithful red & gold costume had me off the chain from the start!

Local airings and bed time got in the way of total immersion. I saw most of the much-hyped debut, but anything after that gets a little hazy. For memory, the series was soon bumped to a later broadcast time, and I'm not entirely certain they ran every episode. That kinda thing used to happen, but it also might just be that it was out of sight, out of mind. Fortunately, a local video store, and three pseudo-movies compiled from edited episodes filled the intervening years!

A lot of us have fond memories of renting a videotape over and over again. Since these never seemed to be widely available in retail release (where I was) - The Flash was one of mine!

As I still remember it, the movie-length pilot was always a pretty dry and laborious watch, but I was especially fond of the pulp-infused final video release: The Flash III: Deadly Nightshade.

It was tucked away with the others on a shelf near the Guyver movies, a "movie" made from two of the more superhero-centric episodes: "Ghost in the Machine" and "The Deadly Nightshade". They both featured a retired 1950s masked vigilante, Nightshade, who becomes a mentor to the TV Barry Allen.

Nightshade was a little bit like The Sandman, which probably explains some of why I always liked him, but never had any literal comic book equivalent. There's perhaps a touch of Watchmen in the way he's outed in his second appearance, cementing his retirement from costumed heroics.

The Flash's world is otherwise devoid of super-heroes. Superman and Batman only seem to exist as a double-feature at the local movie theatre -- literally.

I imagine the show might've introduced lesser DC heroes if it'd continued for a few seasons, but Nightshade was the sole heroic balance to a handful of mostly toned down super-villains: Captain Cold, Mirror Master, The Trickster, and a cavalcade of technologically powered one-offs created for the show. The existence of other heroes, past or present, is left pretty much unaddressed.

Kid Flash probably would've made sense as the first expansion to the mythology of the show. A chance for Barry Allen to play mentor to a recurring guest old enough to not quite tie the sometimes-swinging bachelor down.

The Mark Waid TV Special story almost reads like a dry run for Kid Flash, but also recalls one of the episodes that revolves around another, more redeemable juvenile delinquent. That one, featuring Jonathan Brandis (Never Ending Story II, SeaQuest DSV) always seemed like it could've led to a junior speedster further down the line. Something to think about next time we reconvene!

The Flash is available in its entirety streaming on the new DC Universe platform, but if you're like me, and want to watch & own your media unedited whenever you like, you should definitely think about tracking down the DVD set released in 2006. It's been a regular in my player the past decade and well worth it! If you do it via the convenient purchase link provided - you'll ensure Amazon support the site at no extra cost!

You can find more of The Flash and friends by diving into the Secret Archive of featured fights, or by exploring links throughout this article, and others! You can also get daily links to fights by following Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook! A follow, like, share, or retweet is another great way to help support our combative corner of the web! Happy holidays!

Winner: Kid Flash
#318 (new) Kid Flash (Vince Everett)
#17 (--) The Flash (Barry Allen)

RANK & FILE: TOP 10 DEEP SEA DWELLERS

Rankings have long been the spine of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! Based on the cumulative record of win/loss results: relevant rankings are updated at the bottom of every new featured fight -- but only for characters involved! Rank & File is a chance to compare and contrast the 900+ characters currently ranked by highlighting the ten best heroes & villains of different topical categories!

With a tidal wave of enthusiasm flooding the planet for DC and Warner Brother's Aquaman movie - it only makes sense we take a closer look at the Top 10 Deep Sea Dwellers in comics! Remember: this list is based on current win/loss results and is subject to change. Be sure to hit the comments section below to share your Top 10 favourite heroes & villains who come from the deep!

#1 Aquaman (DC)
Real Name: [Arthur Curry]
First Appearance: [More Fun Comics #73 (November, 1941)]
Recent Opponents: [Black Manta, Mera & Tempest, Ocean Master]
Featured Fight: [Aquaman versus Mercury Monster]

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has traditionally been a Sub-Mariner strong-hold, but mounting excitement for this month's Aquaman movie has invariably floated the DC hero back to the top of the ranks! It's the first time in over a decade he's outpaced the competition -- even though he infamously claimed victory when the rivals met in Marvel versus DC #2!

As the second iconic underwater superhero to emerge from comics' Golden Age; Aquaman has had many different phases and moments - not all of them favourable. Despite a history of ups and downs, he achieved rankings superiority with last month's feature fight from Adventure Comics #446! The issue is part of the rip-roaring action-adventure era of the mid-seventies, which features his iconic extended family and deadliest enemies! Some of that spirit lies within his most recent incarnations, and it will be particularly exciting to see Jason Mamoa don the iconic gold & green when he shares the screen with a few of the other characters featured further down on this list!

#2 Sub-Mariner (Marvel)
Real Name: [Namor McKenzie]
First Appearance: [Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 (April, 1939)]
Recent Opponents: [Thanos, Thanos, Iron Man, Red Skull & Nazis]
Fight Spotlight: [Mister Fantastic versus Sub-Mariner]

Namor is one of the oldest characters in the Marvel pantheon, but that's never worked against him! He featured prominently as a guest when Stan Lee and his collaborators began the Marvel Age of the 1960s [eg; X-Men #6], before rejoining the modern world as a frequent "frenemy" of the Fantastic Four. After touring the various new series, he was re-established as a lead in Tales to Astonish, which he shared with eventual sparring partner and teammate - the Hulk!

Namor, The Sub-Mariner differed in many ways from DC's later creation. The unusual characteristic of ankle wings and the ability to fly earned him the eventual moniker of "Marvel's First Mutant". He was also a far less agreeable personality, walking the line of a dangerous anti-hero. He'd eventually be seen sporadically leading the armies of Atlantis against the surface world, and collaborating with the likes of Doctor Doom! He was even a star of the short-lived Super Villain Team-Up in the seventies, even though his role often favoured that of the heroic protagonist.

#3 Aquagirl (DC)
Real Name: [Tula]
First Appearance: [Aquaman #33 (May-June, 1967)]
Recent Opponents: [Black Manta, Mera & Tempest]
Featured Fight: [Aquaman, Dolphin & Tula versus Mera & Tempest]

The third heroine to use the "Aquagirl" moniker is also our #3 deep sea dweller! Tula was orphaned as an infant and adopted by Atlantean nobility. Raised as the Princess of Poseidonis, she remained within royal palace walls until her teens, when she first encountered the original Aqualad! She became romantically linked with Garth and a regular ally to the Teen Titans.

We indirectly saw Tula's irrepressible influence via Adventure Comics #446, where she helped turn the tides of battle with Black Manta by freeing Garth from an elaborate death-trap. She would face death herself a decade later - one of the casualties of Crisis on Infinite Earths. It was in death she made her biggest impact on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, returning during Blackest Night #2 as an undead Black Lantern who tore her former boyfriend apart! She's since been restored as part of the New 52 reboot, becoming the half-sister of Ocean Master, and regent of Atlantis.

#4 Dolphin (DC)
Real Name: [Unknown]
First Appearance: [Showcase #79 (December, 1968)]
Recent Opponents: [Mera & Tempest]
Featured Fight: [Aquaman, Dolphin & Tula versus Mera & Tempest]

Our fourth deep sea dweller was a presumed military brat during the Second World War until the American battleship carrying her was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The unknown child was rescued from the ocean by mysterious aliens, who then used her in a series of experiments to splice human genetics with those of aquatic creatures. She survived the harrowing ordeal to live under the sea, discovered by American divers exploring wreckage in 1968.

The mysterious young woman couldn't communicate and didn't know her name anyway, so the divers christened her Dolphin. Years later in Secret Origins #50, aged diver Chris Landau rediscovered Dolphin living as an attraction at Oceanworld water park. She later met Aquaman and became embroiled in Atlantean society, marrying Garth and siring a child, until she was killed during The Spectre's attack on Atlantis. She joined Garth's other love interest as a Black Lantern in Blackest Night #2.

#5 Sulumor (Marvel)
Real Name: [Sulumor]
First Appearance: [New Invaders #0 (August, 2004)]
Recent Opponents: [Wolverine, Avengers]
Featured Fight: [Invaders versus Avengers]

Sulumor didn't live long in comics, but he's burned brightly here on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! In his first appearance Sulumor served as Atlantean Counselor to Namor during a joint invasion of Mazikhandar with a new team of Invaders. The attack brought he and Sub-Mariner into conflict with The Avengers, but ended with his installation as an Atlantean Diplomat after the surrender of political assassin and short-lived Mazikhandar leader, General Rafiq.

A strong-headed, if aggressive member of the Atleantean military ranks; Sulumor was strong enough to challenge even the bold will of Namor, earning his respect in the process. The Counselor was involved in directing a joint national strike on conspiring Axis Mundi Pterrorists, but lost his life shortly after when a Hydra controlled Wolverine took him out in New Invaders #6.

#6 Shiny Happy Aquazon (DC)
Real Name: [Kim Kimura]
First Appearance: [Final Crisis #2 (August, 2008)]
Recent Opponent: [Razzle]
Featured Fight: [Razzle versus Super Young Team]

Shiny Happy Aquazon might sound like a glib tribute to REM, but as introduced in Final Crisis #2, she's actually a second-generation amphibian Japanese heroine, the daughter of Junior Waveman Kimura. That legacy doesn't really mean much to the star-chasing celebrity superhero though. She's best known as the 'giggly, shy, and annoyingly cute' member of idle idols: Super Young Team.

SYT are spoiled, vacuous poseurs wearing referential American superhero style as fashion couture, but their total ineffectiveness hasn't stopped them attracting a legion of adoring fans. They accidentally stumbled into legitimacy during Final Crisis when they linked up with Sonny Sumo and Mister Miracle, and helped save humanity in the process. A brilliant post-modern concept tossed off by Grant Morrison, the team were spun-out into their own series, where we saw them face the evils of Tokyo nightlife.

#7 Mera (DC)
Real Name: [Mera]
First Appearance: [Aquaman #11 (October, 1963)]
Recent Opponents: [Black Lantern Corps, Ocean Master]
Featured Fight: [Aquaman, Dolphin & Tula versus Mera & Tempest]

Queen Mera originally came from Dimension Aqua: an almost exclusively submerged reality where she ruled as Queen of the kingdom Xebel. After fleeing her realm from a criminal threat, Mera abdicated the throne to remain on Earth, where she married Aquaman to become Queen of Earth's Atlantis.

Mera has been a mercurial presence in Aquaman's world ever since, coming in and out of fashion as the Atlantean monarch's wife, and mother of their ill-fated child. She firmly returned to the fold in the last decade, even starring in her own series, and is well on track to become a DC icon when Amber Heard returns to the live-action role in Aquaman.

#8 Ocean Master (DC)
Real Name: [Orm Marius]
First Appearance: [Aquaman #29 (September, 1966)]
Recent Opponents: [Aquaman, Martian Manhunter]
Featured Fight: [Aquaman versus Ocean Master]

Almost all of our best ranked deep sea dwellers have been friends & allies to DC and Marvel's highest ranking icons -- but some of comics' most famous underwater patrons are super-villains! Case in point: Aquaman's jealous half-brother Orm, whose pursuit of the Atlantean throne and bitter jealousy against his half-sibling have led him to take the moniker of Ocean Master!

Although their relationship wasn't immediately apparent in his maiden comic book voyage, their natural opposition led Ocean Master to immediately become one of Aquaman's leading nemeses! He appears as the arch-adversary threatening Atlantis in this month's Aquaman feature film played by Patrick Wilson.

#9 Tempest (DC)
Real Name: [Garth]
First Appearance: [Adventure Comics #269 (February, 1960)]
Recent Opponents: [Black Manta, Black Lantern Corps]
Featured Fight: [Aquaman, Dolphin & Tula versus Mera & Tempest]

The original Aqualad missed out on our Top 10 Teen Titans but his assist battling the dastardly Black Manta in Adventure Comics #446 means he swims against the tide into our best oceanic heroes & villains -- and why not? The Silver Age sidekick of Aquaman was once one of the most recognizable deep sea dwellers in comics!

Debuting as another half-man/half-Atlantean, he formed a heroic partnership after meeting Aquaman, and later joined Robin & Kid Flash to form the original all-star sidekick squadron: The Teen Titans! As he matured, Garth forged a legacy of his own, learning to control the current and temperature of water using ancient magicks wielded by his forefathers. As Tempest he found a family of his own with top three ranked Tula, but his lovelife came back to bite him in Blackest Night #2!

#10 Tigershark (Marvel)
Real Name: [Todd Arlis]
First Appearance: [Sub-Mariner #5 (September, 1968)]
Recent Opponents: [Sub-Mariner & Spider-Man]
Featured Fight: [Sub-Mariner & Spider-Man versus Dorcas & Tiger Shark]

Olympic swimmer Todd Arlis thought he'd receive public adoration and glory when he attempted to save a drowning man, but instead suffered a career-ending injury to his spinal chord. Not content with his lot in life, he volunteered for Dr. Dorcas' gene therapy, which spliced him with the hybrid mutant DNA of Prince Namor, and a tiger shark -- transforming him into a super-human predator!

Tiger Shark quickly left his sporting career behind in favour of delusions of grandeur that saw him pursuing the Atlantean throne. This established a classic arch-rivalry with the Sub-Mariner that continues to this very day! Namor has known many Atlantean enemies over the years, but Tiger Shark is the rare exception of a surface dweller who can match him on land and sea!

Bringing Up The Rear:
Doctor Dorcas, Aquanoids, Lord Krang, Tri-Gorr, Rommbu, Giganto, Mercury Monster, Black Manta & Attuma

Remember: The Rank & File Top 10 is determined by win/loss rankings at the time of publication. There are many more fish in the sea who could rank among the best. Who would make your cut? Don't forget you can share your Top 10 deep sea dwellers in the comments!

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