HULK versus CHAMPION OF THE UNIVERSE
And They Shall Call Him... Champion! (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7 When: October 1982 Why: Tom DeFalco How: Ron Wilson
The Story So Far...
The Thing has battled some of the most powerful beings in this universe and beyond, earning a fighting reputation that spans galaxies! Enter: Proja - Promoter Supreme!
Charged with signing worthy opponents to face The Champion of the Universe - Proja sees big box office potential in a match between Thing and his client! Madison Square Garden is the only arena that could stage this once in a lifetime title bout, but you can't have a main event without an undercard!
The Mighty Thor was disqualified when he brought his enchanted hammer into the boxing ring. His exit paves the way for a potential show stealer as Champion welcomes a challenger who may be the strongest one there is: The Incredible Hulk!
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Champion 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Champion 2 (Average)
Speed: Hulk 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Champion 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Champion 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Champion of the Universe 29 (Metahuman)
If you subscribe to the theory that Hulk is typically stronger than his cousin: there's a compelling case for Champion of the Universe being in real trouble in today's bout! After all, we've seen She-Hulk beat him cold in She-Hulk #8!
Of course, She-Hulk's win only came after an earlier, ugly beating. Her second effort was facilitated by experience gained from the prior contest, three months of additional intensive physical training, The Champion under estimating her, and an argument to strip him of the Power Gem he was guarding, at that time.
Indeed, Champion of the Universe may be a merciless combatant, but as we saw in an earlier no contest against Thor: he plays by a strict set of ring rules!
Those rules helped She-Hulk turn her fortunes around, but they may not bode well for her rampaging cousin! This is a time when Bruce Banner wields some control over a more articulate Hulk, but the more he gives into his rage, the more he loses control. That rage is the source of his upper limits of strength, but it also means he's unlikely to be concerned with threats of disqualification!
Where: Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7 When: October 1982 Why: Tom DeFalco How: Ron Wilson
The Story So Far...
The Thing has battled some of the most powerful beings in this universe and beyond, earning a fighting reputation that spans galaxies! Enter: Proja - Promoter Supreme!
Charged with signing worthy opponents to face The Champion of the Universe - Proja sees big box office potential in a match between Thing and his client! Madison Square Garden is the only arena that could stage this once in a lifetime title bout, but you can't have a main event without an undercard!
The Mighty Thor was disqualified when he brought his enchanted hammer into the boxing ring. His exit paves the way for a potential show stealer as Champion welcomes a challenger who may be the strongest one there is: The Incredible Hulk!
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Champion 7 (Omnipotent)Intelligence: Champion 2 (Average)
Speed: Hulk 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Champion 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Champion 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Champion of the Universe 29 (Metahuman)
If you subscribe to the theory that Hulk is typically stronger than his cousin: there's a compelling case for Champion of the Universe being in real trouble in today's bout! After all, we've seen She-Hulk beat him cold in She-Hulk #8!
Of course, She-Hulk's win only came after an earlier, ugly beating. Her second effort was facilitated by experience gained from the prior contest, three months of additional intensive physical training, The Champion under estimating her, and an argument to strip him of the Power Gem he was guarding, at that time.
Indeed, Champion of the Universe may be a merciless combatant, but as we saw in an earlier no contest against Thor: he plays by a strict set of ring rules!
Those rules helped She-Hulk turn her fortunes around, but they may not bode well for her rampaging cousin! This is a time when Bruce Banner wields some control over a more articulate Hulk, but the more he gives into his rage, the more he loses control. That rage is the source of his upper limits of strength, but it also means he's unlikely to be concerned with threats of disqualification!
Hulk is one of the preeminent powerhouses of the Marvel Universe and could very well have the strength to challenge The Champion! We've seen him lay vicious beatings on Juggernaut [Marvel Adventures #14], Silver Surfer [Incredible Hulk #95], The Sentry [World War Hulk #5], Thor [Avengers #5], The Avengers [Avengers #4], and The Thunderbolts [Incredible Hulk #449]!
We've also seen Hulk vex cosmic powers the likes of: Thing & The FF [Fantastic Four #12], Superman [Marvel versus DC #3], Green Lantern [Unlimited Access #1], Hercules [Tales to Astonish #79], and Thanos [Infinity Gauntlet #4]. Yet it must also be noted that each of these examples has ultimately concluded in a stalemate, or even the Hulk's defeat.
Given this is purely a contest of pugilistic power and brute physical strength - Hulk is in with a shot! Though an Elder of the Universe, we've seen proof Tryco Slatterus (as The Champ is otherwise known) can be defeated. Hulk is clearly among Earth's top tier of super-human fighters, but lacks finesse. His fists are fuelled with pure fury and everything depends on focusing them on the task of proving he really is the strongest one there is! Let's see how he did...
The Tape: Champion of the Universe Ranking: Hulk (#6)
What Went Down...
No sooner than Thor has been teleported from the Madison Square Garden spotlight does The Hulk suddenly appear! He warns The Champion that anger only makes him stronger -- and he's plenty mad with the alien's actions!In a demonstration of his awesome brawn the Hulk bangs his gloved fists together - reducing the boxing gear to strips of meaningless leather!
In truth, the hours of training and waiting have been a constant struggle for the man within the beast - Dr. Bruce Banner! As his resolve has weakened, his rage has stewed to the boil - blurring into madness as he finally takes the ring and begins a berserker charge toward his adversary!
It would surely be a main event worthy of the biggest marquees across the known galaxy -- but The Champion of the Universe is no mere barroom brawler! He deems this mindless Hulk unworthy of the contest he offers.
With but a raising of his gloved hand, Champion once again expels an opponent from the ring. The match is over before it started. Another No Contest!
The Hammer...
Oh, what might've been! If this were any other series, perhaps Hulk v Champion would've been one the biggest fights in Marvel Comics history! Alas, the green goliath was not the star of Marvel Two-In-One - and fated for an early exit.
Unlike the previous Thor fight; there were no actual blows exchanged during this battle, but a statement of intent was clearly made by the Hulk, and Champion initiated his method of avoidance. All of that is to say: this fight will go on the record as an inconclusive no contest (equal to a draw).
That means, to this point, The Champion has eliminated: Sub-Mariner by disinterested forfeit, Doc Samson by training injury, and Thor & Hulk by variations on disqualification and no contest. That sounds like an inauspicious start to the tournament, but it's all in favour of building to the main event!
When we next return to Madison Square Garden and Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7 - we'll get our first taste of pure pugilistic power when Sasquatch steps into the ring for a bona fide battle! We've also got Colossus, Wonder Man, and Thing waiting in the wings to take the challenge of the Champion of the Universe!
Sasquatch may not be your usual headliner from the Marvel Universe, but in the eighties, he and Alpha Flight were a cult force to be reckoned with! Canada's fuzzy, transforming answer to the Hulk has also been mixing it up lately in Marvel's current genre-bending super-hero/horror series: Immortal Hulk. Rest assured, it'll be a lot of fun to come back to his battle with The Champion!
It feels like next year is going to get a little cosmic, so providing all goes well, we might start getting some valuable data on the Elder known as Tryco Slatterus. To this point, his impact on the rankings hasn't been particularly impressive. He's exactly the kind of character Secret Wars on Infinite Earths was made to investigate - and that means big things lie ahead!
Technically Season 2019 begins here! Be sure to check out The Champion's recent entry into Hero of the Week, and vote for your favourite battles in the 2018 Feature Fight Recap! You can also keep your eyes on the Secret Archive for future updates and explore links throughout this post to discover an exciting multiverse of classic combat and superhero smackdown!
Show some love and make more discoveries by follow Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook! That's where you'll find daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day. A like, share, and retweet is a great way to help spread the battlecry! Happy holidays, true believers!
Winner: No Contest (Draw)
#6 (--) Hulk [+1 draw]
#319 (+2) Champion of the Universe [+1 draw]
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