SOLOMON GRUNDY versus POISON IVY
Married On A Wednesday (DC)
Where: Solomon Grundy #3 When: July 2009
Why: Scott Kolins How: Scott Kolins
The Story So Far...
In the 19th century, Gotham City was home to a wicked soul named Cyrus Gold. Responsible for murder and misery, he was cursed upon death to forever rise from his Slaughter Swamp grave as the beast Solomon Grundy!
Caught in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, the shambling monster is forever drawn to new acts of evil as an unstoppable undead creature - until now..?
A mysterious force has given Cyrus Gold seven days to end his curse, but dark forces conspire to prolong the agony of Solomon Grundy! He was bedeviled by The Demon and delayed by Bizarro, but after surviving his most recent battle, Cyrus Gold replaces his monstrous alter-ego in the clutches of Poison Ivy!
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Solomon Grundy 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Poison Ivy 5 (Professor)
Speed: Solomon Grundy 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Solomon Grundy 6 (Generator)
Agility: Poison Ivy 2 (Average)
Fighting: Solomon Grundy 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Poison Ivy 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Solomon Grundy 23 (Champion)
Solomon Grundy's been having a tough run on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. Despite his formidable undead strength, he's routinely come up against bruisers who've managed to match or defeat him! Monolith, The Demon, and Bizarro all went the distance! Only Killer Croc succumbed to his brutal rampage!
Today's opponent is a very different breed, but will that mean victory for Solomon Grundy -- or just a new way to die?
Poison Ivy isn't traditionally known for her physical strength or fighting abilities. Her command of rare and exotic plant toxins means she can often avoid combative situations altogether, holding superior combatants in her thrall.
She was able to manipulate Superman into helping her defeat Catwoman in Batman #611. When she set him upon Batman in the following Batman #612, The Dark Knight had to fight dirty to capitalize on Superman's lingering resistance, successfully shaking him out of his trance by endangering Lois Lane!
Good help can be hard to find, so Poison Ivy will often simply grow an army of hostile plant life. Various mutant strains of flytraps and vines are common in her arsenal, though not always effective. Hawkgirl used arrow heads to easily prune back her deadly garden in Justice League of America #15.
Grundy started out as an arch-enemy for the original Green Lantern, whose power ring was ineffective against things made of wood [see; JSA #65]. Grundy himself has been shown to be resistant to GL's energy, apparently due to his undead body being partially composed of wood from Slaughter Swamp!
If Grundy contains wood matter then he could be uniquely susceptible to Poison Ivy's influence! However, it's been suggested that Ivy is connected with the living energies of "The Green", while Grundy is of the deathly "Grey". If he's literally dead wood that may sway the battle back in his favour.
New developments in the Solomon Grundy curse mean he arrives at this battle in the unconscious form of Cyrus Gold. As a man, he may still be vulnerable to Ivy's usual array of mind-altering toxins. It's difficult to say what would happen to Solomon Grundy, given his mystic nature, and dim-witted demeanor.
The Tape: Solomon Grundy Ranking: Poison Ivy (#373)
What Went Down...
Awakening from the nightmare of his restless victims in 1881 Slaughter Swamp; Cyrus Gold finds he is living a whole new horror in the modern day. Limp and bleeding from the nose, he is suspended by thorn & vine before Poison Ivy!
She toys with a torturous death for destroying her green house sanctuary, but instead opts to enslave the anonymous man with a kiss. Her toxins flood his mind with subservience and he receives the order: deliver a package to her enemy and destroy their toxic factory.
With duffel bag in hand, Cyrus Gold heads for the door, but something holds him back. In his mind echoes the fateful curse, "Born on a Monday". He turns, eyes turning red, and although his wiry body remains unchanged, his is once again transformed into the unrelenting monster that is Solomon Grundy!
Ivy is bemused by the raggedy man who defies her influence, insisting: "No one tells Solomon Grundy what to do!"
Gold's appearance belies his true nature, but it never the less manifests as he lunges toward his captor, snatching her by the throat as he pushes her through the broken wooded frame and glass of the shattered greenhouse.
A massive animated tree sprouts from nearby greenery, reaching out with thorny vines and branches to rescue its master. Barbed limbs wrap around Gold's throat and body, but the black evil and decay of Solomon Grundy sends the tree recoiling in horror!
Gold snatches at the wood and leaves, infecting them with a wave of death that carries through the entire garden! His powerful grey reduces the once lush and fertile sanctuary to a barren landscape of dry, rotting wood!
With everything dead -- the man who would be Solomon Grundy turns his attentions to Poison Ivy. She kneels in pained dismay at the centre of her desolate garden, unable to fathom the cause of such destruction.
Grundy returns the kiss to his short-lived enslaver and at last Poison Ivy realizes the terrible truth: the man before her is Solomon Grundy!
She sheds a tear as the leaves covering her body begin to die, and she wilts into unconsciousness in Cyrus Gold's arms. Her limp hand inadvertently falls to rest against the duffel bag at his feet, beginning a quiet ticking that counts down to their apparent doom!
The rooftop area explodes -- but neither is destroyed. Ivy's naked body is deposited prone on a turning staircase, out of reach of the destruction. An open door at the base reveals an unlikely act of rescue by the killer Solomon Grundy!
The Hammer...
Halloween is fast approaching, which can only mean the curse of Solomon Grundy descends once more to terrorize Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!
It's been an annual tradition to revisit the classic villain in October, slowly working our way through the gauntlet of his eponymous mini-series!
It's staggering to think it's now been more than ten years since the terror first began -- and we aren't even halfway!
Solomon Grundy is seven issues unto itself, but was also preceded by a Faces Of Evil Special, and two very fun additional issues that spilled into Superman/Batman. I hope to cover them all!
So far we've seen Grundy take down Killer Croc, go two rounds with The Demon in issues #1 & #2, and butt heads with Bizarro in issue #3.
That particularly savage sewer showdown with Killer Croc was also the last time we saw Grundy secure a victory. He may have an intimidating visage, but the hulking swamp-zombie hasn't fared well against the opening cavalcade of demons and monsters coming his way.
Despite the titular villain's struggles, these slugfests have provided the primary thrills so far. However, the series takes a slight turn with Solomon Grundy #3.
Poison Ivy clearly presents a far less monstrous menace than the rest. She plays to the more obscure thematic intrigue of beauty versus beast, and a plant-commanding villainess against a wood-logged swamp zombie.
I pondered the possibility of Poison Ivy being uniquely suited to manipulating Solomon Grundy earlier in the Tape section, but it's fair to say we didn't really get a conclusive answer from this battle.
Grundy remained in the mortal form of Cyrus Gold throughout the fight, which means the tradition of his body possessing wood-matter from Slaughter Swamp didn't really present itself.
Poison Ivy also didn't really appreciate who she was dealing with until it was much too late. By then, her garden gazebo was already reduced to a cursed crop of death. It could be argued Grundy himself is literal dead wood and she wouldn't have governance over him, anyhow. That's probably the case, but their loose elemental affiliation is a nice idea to think about.
It mustn't be forgotten that there are mysterious forces working behind the events of the series. The ticking clock is counting down to Blackest Night, with each issue representing another lost day. Grundy's presence as a figure of death and "The Grey" does well to allude to this fact, even though it isn't yet explicit.
I appreciate the vague relationship the series, and its week-long quest, has with the Solomon Grundy nursery rhyme, as well.
Poison Ivy's penchant for planting a kiss on her victims is probably about as convincing an allusion to our monstrous Grundy being wed on Wednesday as you're going to get. I presume that was a Scott Kolins flourish, providing a smooth transition from the previous issue's impact zone and plant pot joke.
I continue to be a real admirer of Kolins' work on this series. There's a rough and raw quality to the pencils that really compliments the action. Michael Atiyeh on colors does some great work, too. This issue in particular pops with day time yellow as backdrop to deep blacks. Very nice!
If you'd like to check the entirety of the series out for yourself, you might have to do some work to find a collected edition. If you shop via the Amazon link supplied, you'll help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for another year!
Follow links throughout this article for discover more from these and other characters. You can find and discover even more battles by diving in to the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order publisher, series, and issue number!
Follow on Twitter and Facebook to get links to daily fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like and share your favourite superhero smackdown!
Winner: Solomon Grundy
#135 (+238) Solomon Grundy
#386 (-13) Poison Ivy
Where: Solomon Grundy #3 When: July 2009
Why: Scott Kolins How: Scott Kolins
The Story So Far...
In the 19th century, Gotham City was home to a wicked soul named Cyrus Gold. Responsible for murder and misery, he was cursed upon death to forever rise from his Slaughter Swamp grave as the beast Solomon Grundy!
Caught in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, the shambling monster is forever drawn to new acts of evil as an unstoppable undead creature - until now..?
A mysterious force has given Cyrus Gold seven days to end his curse, but dark forces conspire to prolong the agony of Solomon Grundy! He was bedeviled by The Demon and delayed by Bizarro, but after surviving his most recent battle, Cyrus Gold replaces his monstrous alter-ego in the clutches of Poison Ivy!
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Solomon Grundy 6 (Invincible)Intelligence: Poison Ivy 5 (Professor)
Speed: Solomon Grundy 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Solomon Grundy 6 (Generator)
Agility: Poison Ivy 2 (Average)
Fighting: Solomon Grundy 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Poison Ivy 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Solomon Grundy 23 (Champion)
Solomon Grundy's been having a tough run on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. Despite his formidable undead strength, he's routinely come up against bruisers who've managed to match or defeat him! Monolith, The Demon, and Bizarro all went the distance! Only Killer Croc succumbed to his brutal rampage!
Today's opponent is a very different breed, but will that mean victory for Solomon Grundy -- or just a new way to die?
Poison Ivy isn't traditionally known for her physical strength or fighting abilities. Her command of rare and exotic plant toxins means she can often avoid combative situations altogether, holding superior combatants in her thrall.
She was able to manipulate Superman into helping her defeat Catwoman in Batman #611. When she set him upon Batman in the following Batman #612, The Dark Knight had to fight dirty to capitalize on Superman's lingering resistance, successfully shaking him out of his trance by endangering Lois Lane!
Good help can be hard to find, so Poison Ivy will often simply grow an army of hostile plant life. Various mutant strains of flytraps and vines are common in her arsenal, though not always effective. Hawkgirl used arrow heads to easily prune back her deadly garden in Justice League of America #15.
Grundy started out as an arch-enemy for the original Green Lantern, whose power ring was ineffective against things made of wood [see; JSA #65]. Grundy himself has been shown to be resistant to GL's energy, apparently due to his undead body being partially composed of wood from Slaughter Swamp!
If Grundy contains wood matter then he could be uniquely susceptible to Poison Ivy's influence! However, it's been suggested that Ivy is connected with the living energies of "The Green", while Grundy is of the deathly "Grey". If he's literally dead wood that may sway the battle back in his favour.
New developments in the Solomon Grundy curse mean he arrives at this battle in the unconscious form of Cyrus Gold. As a man, he may still be vulnerable to Ivy's usual array of mind-altering toxins. It's difficult to say what would happen to Solomon Grundy, given his mystic nature, and dim-witted demeanor.
The Tape: Solomon Grundy Ranking: Poison Ivy (#373)
What Went Down...
Awakening from the nightmare of his restless victims in 1881 Slaughter Swamp; Cyrus Gold finds he is living a whole new horror in the modern day. Limp and bleeding from the nose, he is suspended by thorn & vine before Poison Ivy!
She toys with a torturous death for destroying her green house sanctuary, but instead opts to enslave the anonymous man with a kiss. Her toxins flood his mind with subservience and he receives the order: deliver a package to her enemy and destroy their toxic factory.
With duffel bag in hand, Cyrus Gold heads for the door, but something holds him back. In his mind echoes the fateful curse, "Born on a Monday". He turns, eyes turning red, and although his wiry body remains unchanged, his is once again transformed into the unrelenting monster that is Solomon Grundy!
Ivy is bemused by the raggedy man who defies her influence, insisting: "No one tells Solomon Grundy what to do!"
Gold's appearance belies his true nature, but it never the less manifests as he lunges toward his captor, snatching her by the throat as he pushes her through the broken wooded frame and glass of the shattered greenhouse.
A massive animated tree sprouts from nearby greenery, reaching out with thorny vines and branches to rescue its master. Barbed limbs wrap around Gold's throat and body, but the black evil and decay of Solomon Grundy sends the tree recoiling in horror!
Gold snatches at the wood and leaves, infecting them with a wave of death that carries through the entire garden! His powerful grey reduces the once lush and fertile sanctuary to a barren landscape of dry, rotting wood!
With everything dead -- the man who would be Solomon Grundy turns his attentions to Poison Ivy. She kneels in pained dismay at the centre of her desolate garden, unable to fathom the cause of such destruction.
Grundy returns the kiss to his short-lived enslaver and at last Poison Ivy realizes the terrible truth: the man before her is Solomon Grundy!
She sheds a tear as the leaves covering her body begin to die, and she wilts into unconsciousness in Cyrus Gold's arms. Her limp hand inadvertently falls to rest against the duffel bag at his feet, beginning a quiet ticking that counts down to their apparent doom!
The rooftop area explodes -- but neither is destroyed. Ivy's naked body is deposited prone on a turning staircase, out of reach of the destruction. An open door at the base reveals an unlikely act of rescue by the killer Solomon Grundy!
The Hammer...Halloween is fast approaching, which can only mean the curse of Solomon Grundy descends once more to terrorize Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!
It's been an annual tradition to revisit the classic villain in October, slowly working our way through the gauntlet of his eponymous mini-series!
It's staggering to think it's now been more than ten years since the terror first began -- and we aren't even halfway!
Solomon Grundy is seven issues unto itself, but was also preceded by a Faces Of Evil Special, and two very fun additional issues that spilled into Superman/Batman. I hope to cover them all!
So far we've seen Grundy take down Killer Croc, go two rounds with The Demon in issues #1 & #2, and butt heads with Bizarro in issue #3.
That particularly savage sewer showdown with Killer Croc was also the last time we saw Grundy secure a victory. He may have an intimidating visage, but the hulking swamp-zombie hasn't fared well against the opening cavalcade of demons and monsters coming his way.
Despite the titular villain's struggles, these slugfests have provided the primary thrills so far. However, the series takes a slight turn with Solomon Grundy #3.
Poison Ivy clearly presents a far less monstrous menace than the rest. She plays to the more obscure thematic intrigue of beauty versus beast, and a plant-commanding villainess against a wood-logged swamp zombie.
I pondered the possibility of Poison Ivy being uniquely suited to manipulating Solomon Grundy earlier in the Tape section, but it's fair to say we didn't really get a conclusive answer from this battle.
Grundy remained in the mortal form of Cyrus Gold throughout the fight, which means the tradition of his body possessing wood-matter from Slaughter Swamp didn't really present itself.
Poison Ivy also didn't really appreciate who she was dealing with until it was much too late. By then, her garden gazebo was already reduced to a cursed crop of death. It could be argued Grundy himself is literal dead wood and she wouldn't have governance over him, anyhow. That's probably the case, but their loose elemental affiliation is a nice idea to think about.
It mustn't be forgotten that there are mysterious forces working behind the events of the series. The ticking clock is counting down to Blackest Night, with each issue representing another lost day. Grundy's presence as a figure of death and "The Grey" does well to allude to this fact, even though it isn't yet explicit.
I appreciate the vague relationship the series, and its week-long quest, has with the Solomon Grundy nursery rhyme, as well.
Poison Ivy's penchant for planting a kiss on her victims is probably about as convincing an allusion to our monstrous Grundy being wed on Wednesday as you're going to get. I presume that was a Scott Kolins flourish, providing a smooth transition from the previous issue's impact zone and plant pot joke.
I continue to be a real admirer of Kolins' work on this series. There's a rough and raw quality to the pencils that really compliments the action. Michael Atiyeh on colors does some great work, too. This issue in particular pops with day time yellow as backdrop to deep blacks. Very nice!
If you'd like to check the entirety of the series out for yourself, you might have to do some work to find a collected edition. If you shop via the Amazon link supplied, you'll help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for another year!
Follow links throughout this article for discover more from these and other characters. You can find and discover even more battles by diving in to the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order publisher, series, and issue number!
Follow on Twitter and Facebook to get links to daily fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like and share your favourite superhero smackdown!
Winner: Solomon Grundy
#135 (+238) Solomon Grundy
#386 (-13) Poison Ivy
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