THE CONTEST: BLACK CANARY versus DAREDEVIL

It was only a matter of time! The Grandmaster has watched the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for many years and now comes with a challenge: I must select 12 heroes & villains from the DC Universe to do battle against his Champions of the Marvel Universe! Grandmaster's team competed in the first Contest of Champions and set an allowance of 5000pts based on Fight Club Ranking. Battles will be decided by you in fantasy fight polls on Twitter, Facebook and Patreon!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Daredevil 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Daredevil 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Daredevil 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Daredevil 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Daredevil 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Daredevil 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Black Canary 3 (Explosives)
Total: Daredevil 26 (Metahuman)

The Grandmaster is coming at me hard in this first battle, but I think I've got the perfect ace up my sleeve to take care of his high-ranking champion!

The fundamental threat of Daredevil is his mastery of martial arts. In Daredevil #87 we saw his skill perfectly demonstrated when he went blow for blow with Iron Fist during a case of mistaken identity. He's arguably a superior fighter to Black Canary, although her extensive training in hand-to-hand combat with experts like Richard Dragon, Wildcat, and Wonder Woman should keep her plenty competitive.

Daredevil is blind and relies on his keen senses to maintain awareness of his surroundings with enhanced accuracy thanks to a radar-like perception. In Daredevil #7 it helped him see through the fog of Mysterio's illusions, and in Daredevil #75 he could even detect demonic possession within The Jester! It's a factor in every one of his victories -- but my fight is gonna make it work against him!

Black Canary has a super-power of her own and it's her deafening sonic canary cry!

In Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 her scream was strong enough to rattle Captain Marvel Jr and Mary Marvel to the core. In Justice League of America #15 it literally blew Shadow Thief away -- causing his shadow form to completely dissipate. The canary cry also blasted Giganta and her giant-sized eardrums into submission after Canary showed some deft acrobatics and fighting against Cheshire.

I'm spending a lot of points on this first fight, but I wager the sonic assault of #38 Black Canary is going to be the perfect weapon for taking #12 Daredevil out!

The Verdict (Updated February 6th)...

In the first contest against The Grandmaster I put all my chips on Black Canary and her ability to sonically disrupt Daredevil's senses. It was a plan to disorient and disarm, and I was feeling pretty good about my chances. Indeed, the vocal majority seemed to agree it was a sound strategy!

Jason Pakota gave Daredevil props, but saw the canary cry as the game changer, "Guy with super sensitive hearing ability vs. woman with hyper sonic scream? Matt gets in a few solid combos, but then Canary levels him with the scream and leaves DD in a crumpled heap with blood pouring from his ears."

Xzenova looked closely at the martial arts prowess of the two characters, drawing the conclusion that Daredevil might be more skilled, but the canary cry clinched it: "Dinah isn't as skilled as Matt, but her scream will def. hinder his abilities and potentially even cripple him".

The Sentry & The Void - Nazar agreed the odds were in Black Canary's favour, "Probably BC because of her voice". Echoed by Wayward, who saw Daredevil uniquely vulnerable to the Black Canary's scream: "Most other fighting focused heroes DD has the advantage on otherwise."

So that's it, right? Chalk it up as a win? Not quite... A late rush in voting on Twitter kept the poll results close, but in the end Daredevil secured a narrow 52.2% win after snatching the lead from Black Canary early on. The story wasn't much better on Facebook, with low voting turning out a 60% majority for Daredevil in a closely contested poll.

Sadly, nobody made a case for exactly how Daredevil would pull it off. It could boil down to his renown as a hand-to-hand fighter, seen as slightly superior to Black Canary, who's certainly no slouch when it comes to busting a move learned from her extensive training with DC masters.

Another option is that some may've felt Black Canary's sonic cry would be more of a hindrance than a boon! It's clearly a call that invites debate, but when Daredevil clashed with sound-based villain Klaw, he was able to take advantage of his noisiness, using it to vividly keep track of him in the alleys of Hell's Kitchen. Perhaps the aggregate 53.6% thought that's how it would go!

It was a close call, but Round 1 goes to The Grandmaster! I'm not dejected yet, though.

We'll be back for Round 2 later this month! Keep your eyes on The Contest for the next battle via the link provided, Twitter, Facebook, and Patreon. You can also tell me how you think today's fight should've gone by posting in the comments, or on social media. I'd love to hear from you!

Winner: Daredevil

The Grandmaster - 1

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths - 0

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GOTHAM HEROES versus BLOCKBUSTER, METALLO & GORILLA GRODD

Seduction of the Innocent (DC)
Where: Underworld Unleashed #3 When: Late December 1995 Why: Mark Waid How: Howard Porter

The Story So Far...
Hell has a new ruler and his name is Neron. This powerful devil comes baring a simple offer to those who will take it: great power in exchange for their immortal soul!

The demon's temptation lures many whose heart is darkened by desire. Roland Desmond receives the power of Blockbuster with the retention of a brilliant criminal mind; John Corben accepts the ability to summon a new Metallo body from nearby metals so he'll never be crippled again; and Gorilla Grodd enhances his powerful mind with the knowledge to take control of Gorilla City.

While the most powerful members of the Justice League enter the underworld on a mission to stop Neron -- his army of villains spread chaos and terror across a troubled Earth. The remaining heroes of Gotham City must scramble to stop the enhanced villains as they attempt to hijack nuclear weapons!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Metallo 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Gorilla Grodd 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Metallo 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Robin 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Metallo 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Batman 29 (Metahuman)

The Gotham City heroes are: Batman, Robin, Black Canary, and Huntress.

A formidable foursome for the streets of Gotham, but today they face a trio of freshly supercharged super-villains who sold their souls to the demon Neron in exchange for greatly enhanced super-powers!

Blockbuster is Roland Desmond: criminal mastermind and brother of Mark Desmond. Like his brother, Roland possesses greatly enhanced super-human strength, but thanks to his pact with Neron, he no longer suffers the reduction in intelligence associated with the Blockbuster formula!

Metallo is John Corben: mortally injured criminal turned into a cyborg powered by kryptonite. Along with super-human strength and durability, his cyborg body could fire radiation beams from his kryptonite heart. Neron's offer granted Metallo the added ability to adapt and construct a body from any metallic objects in his vicinity -- meaning he could never be stopped!

Gorilla Grodd is an ape of Gorilla City who possesses incredible strength, intellect, and vast telepathic abilities. His deal with Neron restored lost psionic powers and granted him knowledge of the whereabouts of an ancient talisman that would allow him to challenge King Solovar for rule over Gorilla City.

All three villains possess strength levels that put them in a weight class above their mortal opponents. They usually contend with the likes of Superman and The Flash, but their enhanced durability also means the Gotham City heroes can utilize some of the most powerful weapons in their arsenal!

Batman used high explosives to defeat the robotic menace of Amazo in Batman #637, and slow a possessed WayneTech Rescue OGRE in Batman Confidential #2. We saw Metallo inadvertently destroy one of his post-Neron bodies in Steel #21 when he absorbed plastic explosive into his body.

Gorilla Grodd used The Heart of Darkness talisman to bring Supergirl into his ape-tribe in Supergirl #3, and telepathically turned the entire Ultramarine Corps against the Justice League in JLA: Classified #3. The latter issue also showed that Batman was able to overcome Grodd with guile and bat-weaponry!

With their combined strengths and intellect, the bad guys should have the advantage here, but all three have shown a propensity for losing in the end.

All four Gotham heroes have acrobatic abilities that should keep them out of harms way. Black Canary is arguably the ace in the hole, with her sonic canary cry shown to be powerful enough to vex the Marvel Family [Crisis on Infinite Earths #6], and Shadow Thief & Giganta [Justice League of America #13]!

The Tape: Gotham City Heroes Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...
A Gotham City bridge plays host to nuclear warheads while city-wide gridlock interrupts the government convoy. Their position was expertly predicated and planned by Major Disaster, whose associates are on site to topple the truck!

Blockbuster, Gorilla Grodd, and Metallo appear moments from success when Batman and Robin descend upon the bridge to spoil their plans!

Robin drops onto Blockbuster with a boot to the back of the head, sending him hurtling towards the waiting feet of a grounded dark knight. Batman lets momentum and gravity do the work, launching Blockbuster off the bridge!

While that's happening, Black Canary joins the battle with a swift flying kick to the face of Gorilla Grodd! Its a short-lived advantage, lost as Grodd unleashes a violent telepathic assault that sends her recoiling with a cry of agony!

Huntress swings across the bridge, surprising one of the convoy drivers by snatching his belt of grenades. She glides above the battle and pulls the pin, sending half a dozen explosives plummeting towards the villains!

Metallo spies the heroine swinging overhead, but fails to take her attack seriously enough to avert disaster. The grenades hit their target, blasting Metallo and Grodd -- and catching Black Canary in the shockwave!

Robin has Black Canary's wellbeing covered, calling for her to go limp so he can catch and break her fall. No such luck for the bad guys, who were blown clean off the bridge and disappeared into the waters below!

The Hammer...
It was a risky play on a populated bridge, but Huntress' grenade gambit won the day for the heroes in the end. It was even good enough to get a rare compliment out of Batman!

The battle is an otherwise easily overlooked, quick three-page episode that shows some of what's happening on Earth while the Justice League are descending into the depths of Hell.

Underworld Unleashed #3 more famously contains a battle between the corrupted JLA and Captain Marvel, as well as the ultimate confrontation with the arch-villain Neron. Nice battles from a mid-nineties DC event, but sometimes it's the small, forgotten moments from these big crossover events that can be the most fun to revisit!

Underworld Unleashed was an event with a grand purpose. Neron was essentially the demonic personification of the publisher's intent to revamp and refurbish some of their pantheon for the extreme nineties. Branded crossover issues turned a spotlight on jazzed up foes who'd sold their soul for new and improved powers, setting them loose on unsuspecting opponents.

By keeping the core event title to a tight three issues, and letting concise tie-ins exploit revamped villains in sometimes unexpected match-ups, Underworld Unleashed had some of the charm that made Acts of Vengeance a good time.

Gorilla Grodd didn't change too much, but the featured trio are a nice sampling for what it was all about. Metallo and Blockbuster were a couple of the updates I remember enjoying at the time. Both found their way into unlikely interactions with Steel, who was a character I was pretty enthusiastic about. We've covered Metallo's appearance in Steel #21, and I'd like to get to Blockbuster as well.

This is the first time the Roland Desmond incarnation of Blockbuster has found his way onto Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. Thanks to Neron, he fulfills the question of what it would be like for Blockbuster to retain strength and intellect.

Mark Desmond served a purpose as a super-strong villain who could run into Batman for cheap thrills. He was a serviceable stand-in for Marvel's Hulk, but it was fair to say the character was running its course. Using his brother to change things up gave DC a surprisingly fun twist, unleashing a powerful mastermind who'll be best remembered as the Kingpin to Nightwing's beleaguered vigilante.

Today's fight also marks the ranking debut of Huntress, who herself is a twist on an old idea. Helena Wayne made sense as the daughter of Batman & Catwoman in a pre-Crisis Earth-Two that showed the second generation coming into their own, but once DC rebooted there was cause to retool.

Helena Bertinelli is undoubtedly my preferred Huntress. Daughter of Gotham City mobster Franco Bertinelli, she witnessed her family's murder by hitman as a child, and vowed to dedicate herself to the fight against organized crime as an adult. She's a semi-inversion on the Bruce Wayne story with her own quirks.

Huntress would become a frequent collaborator with Black Canary as part of the Birds of Prey, who you'll probably know are headed to theatres on February 7th.

With any luck we'll be talking more about Huntress and the Birds of Prey in upcoming featured fights. For now, we record a debut win for the purple bird.

If you'd like to find more from the characters featured today you can follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights ordered by publisher, series, and issue number!

You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day. If you like Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and want to see it prosper you can now support the project via Patreon.

Winners: Huntress, Batman & Robin (w/ Black Canary)
#331 (new) Huntress
#1 (--) Batman
#23 (+10) Robin (Tim Drake)
#38 (--) Black Canary [+1 assist]
#400 (-10) Gorilla Grodd
#896 (new) Blockbuster (Roland Desmond)
#936 (-18) Metallo

DEATHSTROKE versus GREEN ARROW

Crawling Through the Wreckage Part Three: An Eye For An Eye (DC)
Where: Green Arrow #62 When: July 2006
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The Story So Far...
Green Arrow has spent a year reclaiming his life from the wreckage of Star City's destruction at the hands of Doctor Light and Merlyn. The time away allowed him to recover some of his lost fortune and retrain in new fighting arts. It also allowed his alter-ego Oliver Queen to campaign his way into the city of Mayor of Star City!

The more things change, the more they stay the same. As the emerald archer returns to the streets to fight new enemies, his life as Mayor brings a familiar nemesis back to confront him. Corporate rival Theodore Davis has employed the mercenary Deathstroke to setup a deadly rematch in the Mayor's Office!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Deathstroke 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Green Arrow 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Deathstroke 26 (Metahuman)

Deathstroke is widely recognized as one of the deadliest mercenaries in the DC Universe -- even if our record hasn't always reflected that.

Training and artificial enhancements granting access to 90% brain function means Deathstroke can conceive and enact a range of highly effective combat tactics and skills. Our best examples of this include fighting the Justice League to a standstill in Identity Crisis #3, and single-handedly defeating Marvel's X-Men in the classic Uncanny X-Men and New Teen Titans crossover one-shot!

Key to Deathstroke's effectiveness is his hand-to-hand fighting skills, which The Tape shows outclasses Green Arrow. Oliver Queen is a skilled martial artist, but his greatest point of difference has been specialized archery, as in the battles with The Penguin [Justice League of America #135] and Black Hand [Green Lantern: Rebirth #1].

Deathstroke's sword and speedy reflexes are his best weapon against Green Arrow's trick projectiles, but GA doesn't always need to rely on a bow to make the most of them. We saw him endure a fight with Brick long enough to wield arrows by hand for the win in Green Arrow #45. He also successfully rammed an arrow in Deathstroke's bad eye during the Identity Crisis fight.

That example showed both that Deathstroke basically outclasses Green Arrow, but that GA can also fight hard enough to overcome any perceived disparity.

Today's confrontation is coming after a one year break that allowed Ollie to re-train in new fighting disciplines. We saw the fruits of his labour when he faced Red Hood with the skills of a swordsman in Green Arrow #71. Sharpening his skills with a blade is a good way to offset some of the disparity with Deathstroke, who used his to cut down Phantom Lady in Infinite Crisis #1!

Green Arrow outranks Deathstroke in the Fight Club Rankings, but The Terminator stands well ahead in The Tape. So far their history has ended in an inconclusive draw. Let's see if we can break the tie with today's featured battle!

History: Draw (0-0-1)
The Tape: Deathstroke Ranking: Green Arrow (#23)

What Went Down...
A poisoned dart to the throat silences the objections of Mayoral advisor Frederick Tuckman. Mayor Queen can only grit his teeth and ask the intruding assassin what it is that he wants while nerve toxin floods Tuckman's body.

Deathstroke has been hired to kill the Mayor of Star City, but he fires another dart into Oliver Queen's chest and promises him total ruination before death. A complete political assassination from a petty mercenary to a bitter foe.

Lying on the floor of his public office, Mayor Queen clutches his chest while producing a small electronic device. A beep from the telephone is the only warning Deathstroke gets that The Mayor has wired his office to blow!

A Kord Industries miniature explosive was small enough to evade Deathstroke's earlier sweep of the office, as was the armored vest beneath the Mayor's shirt.

He produces bow & quiver and fires an arrow into Deathstroke's shoulder while the mercenary is still embedded in the office wall. His incredible mind processing what has occurred, The Terminator counter fires with a handful of small, self-propelling explosive beads!

Green Arrow leaps clear of the blast, but it buys Deathstroke the time he needs to retrieve his sword and go on the offensive! A single, precision swing of the blade cuts three arrows clean out of the air!

More arrows go astray, forcing Green Arrow to tumble clear of the rampaging Deathstroke. His sword completely cuts through the Mayor's desk, leaving him vulnerable to an arrow to the rear. A speedy flip saves him from its point!

Deathstroke lands in a dominant position over his target, but Green Arrow has prepared for an attack on his office. The exterior window shatters as a cable and dart flies straight for the assassin's chest -- dousing him in adhesive!

Another automated trigger yanks Deathstroke out the window by the cable attached to his chest, onto the roof and into the seat of a catapult! As he's fired into the city air he finally realizes he's been played: it was Green Arrow who hired him in the first place!

The speed and trajectory is too great for Deathstroke to shift his landing: a great open pit with reinforced walls he can't dig his sword into! When he hits the bottom, a ten-inch deep soup of adhesive bogs him to the ground.

Green Arrow looms over the pit and draws a sword before diving in!

A surprised Deathstroke blocks the diving sword slash and admires the archer's new weapon. The blade's quality is matched only by Green Arrow's ability to wield it. He swings it deftly, forcing The Terminator to duck and avoid!

The adhesive surrounding his feet slows Deathstroke, while Green Arrow moves faster than ever -- unhindered thanks to specially treated boots. The bowman leaps gracefully over his foe, while Deathstroke swings at air.

The archer locks eyes with his target and attacks head-on. Deathstroke swings wildly just to meet his attacker's blade at equal measure. Their swords spark as they collide and Deathstroke realizes his opponent has undergone a change!

They cross swords again and Deathstroke manages to drag his feet out of the mire to jump and lunge forward. He's forced right back down into a deep lean backward as Green Arrow continues to press on.

GA leaps over Deathstroke again and successfully slashes his back!

Deathstroke swings wildly with his sword, but Green Arrow leaps clear and forces an evasive duck with his own blade. His fighting style has changed so much after a year's re-training than Deathstroke knows he can't possibly adjust to match him. He pulls the pin on a flash grenade and covers his eyes!

The blinding light leaves Green Arrow momentarily dazed, allowing Deathstroke to fire off a grappling hook. His escape seems assured until a gunshot severs the tie that would take him to safety and he notices the guns.

Armed with armor piercing rounds, a sniper division of the National Guard surrounds the pit, poised to shoot by order of Mayor Oliver Queen. He thought of everything. Deathstroke is under arrest.

The Hammer...
That's one way to stop a hired killer! Green Arrow laid the perfect trap, utilizing everything at his disposal: prep time, his re-trained fighting style, the ultimate trick arrow, and the special resources available to the Mayor of Star City!

It's nice to be back talking Green Arrow -- especially with an opponent as worthy as Deathstroke! Theirs is an interesting rivalry that almost shouldn't have the chemistry that it does. There isn't a whole lot that innately or thematically ties the two characters together. It just seems to work.

I suppose some of the appeal lies in a test of fighting ability. Green Arrow is the expert marksman with competent fighting skill. Deathstroke is the venerable fighting machine better known for his close quarters skills. Throw them together and see who can get the better of the other, or slip out of mortal danger.

There is some overlap between their roles as senior figures in the lives of extra-ordinary young students. I'd call the rivalry an upgrade from beating up Robin and the kids in the Teen Titans, but without that history, there wouldn't be a Deathstroke to begin with, so maybe I need to get that old bias in check.

Of course, Deathstroke matches up more naturally with a lot of the adult DC Universe, operating best as a freelance mercenary with enough character and gimmicks to be interesting unto himself. The suspension of disbelief is a little less strained when he fails to apply his supreme skills to beating adult heroes.

Success rate has a way of undermining the legend of Deathstroke ever so slightly. From six fights we've recorded three outright victories: wins against Robin, the X-Men, and a shared victory over the Freedom Fighters.

Attempts to parlay the success of the character into a villain-driven solo series no doubt helps address success rate, but also inevitably balances the books with forgettable patsies invented to die without collapsing a major franchise. At some point we will take a closer look at a Deathstroke starring title, but it hasn't been as attractive a spotlight as other battles involving better known heroes.

Today's featured fight owes a lot to the brief but popular encounter in Identity Crisis #3, which was published just a couple of years prior. Without that issue, we might not regard Green Arrow and Deathstroke as the rivals they are.

Seeing Deathstroke go all-out against the Justice League was part of what made Identity Crisis memorably satisfying. It helped broadcast the potential of the character, and finally seeded more regular appearances in the larger DCU as a member of groups like The Society and Injustice League.

Flash forward to 2020 and Deathstroke is even starring in his own animated series for CW Seed: Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons. This expands upon the character's live-action appearances in Arrow, Titans, and a much discussed cameo in the Justice League movie. Plenty more reason to talk Slade Wilson!

If you haven't had your Deathstroke fix you can check out this issue in full collected in Green Arrow: Crawling Through The Wreckage. Using the Amazon link provided to shop will help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no extra cost!

You can also find more from both of today's characters by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured battles in order of publisher, series, and issue! You can also get daily links to topical fights by following on Twitter and Facebook!

Today's result propels Green Arrow into the highly disputed #20 rank! He edges out Steel, with some of the biggest DC heroes hot on their heels! Check out the 2019 Rankings Recap for the movers and shakers of last year, and keep your eyes on the bottom of new entries for updates!

Winner: Green Arrow
#20 (+3) Green Arrow
#71 (-2) Deathstroke

X-MEN versus MAGNETO

Showdown! (Marvel)
Where: X-Men #113 When: September 1978
Why: Chris Claremont How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
With his nemeses The X-Men held captive deep within his volcanic subterranean base in the Arctic; Magneto is free to stage an unopposed attack on the Royal Australian Aerospace Research Facility in Woomera, South Australia!

The X-Men are reduced to the physical capacity of infants in the nightmarish care of the android called Nanny! That is, until Storm manages to use the lock-picking skills she learned as a thief to free herself and the team from their elaborate shackles!

Awaiting their greatest foe's return, the X-Men scramble to devise a plan to ambush the Master of Magnetism and defeat him once and for all!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Colossus 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Beast 6 (Genius)
Speed: Beast 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nightcrawler 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Magneto 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Magneto 28 (Metahuman)

The X-Men are: Cyclops, Phoenix, Storm, Banshee, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Wolverine, with Beast.

Despite occasionally working alongside the team; Magneto arguably represents the X-Men's ultimate arch-nemesis! His mastery of magnetism challenges Charles Xavier's dream on both a physical and philosophical plane, shaking the Earth to its very core with the influence of magnetic fields, and dangerous ideas!

There are obvious issues for some of the X-Men who're facing Magneto at a time when he's firmly positioned as a ruthless villain. Wolverine's adamantium laced skeleton is famously susceptible to magnetic influence, most devastatingly demonstrated when the metal was ripped from his body in X-Men #25!

There are also concerns surrounding the organic steel of Colossus. He can choose to remain in his unaltered human form, but this also negates the asset of his super-human strength, rendering him a vulnerable target for Magneto.

Nightcrawler always offers interesting tactical possibilities with his agility and ability to teleport. We saw him strike a decisive blow against Dracula in X-Men Annual #6. He might be able to get the drop on Magneto, but penetrating his magnetic force field seems unlikely. Coordinating with teammates is best.

Cyclops and Storm are strong tactical leaders who can call shots on a team strategy. Cyclops' optic blasts also offer a strong ranged attack that can help pin Magneto down. Storm's control of weather is less suited to their confined arena deep within a volcano, but a well timed gust could help and hinder tactically.

As unlikely as it seems, Banshee could be an ace in the hole. His sonic scream was potent enough to stun Invisible Woman in X-Men Annual #14, and might be able to penetrate Magneto's defenses! The confined space of the arena may just enhance his offensive potential, but there is the risk of hurting his teammates.

The obvious powerhouse here is Jean Grey, who at this time is entwined with the Phoenix force. Cosmically enhanced telekinesis and telepathy are just the tip of the iceberg. In theory, Phoenix would have no trouble defeating Magneto on her own, but the use of her powers at this time appears in flux.

An uncharacteristic act of psychic violence by Charles Xavier famously reduced Magneto to a mindless state in X-Men #25. He was also matched by a cosmically enhanced Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #327.

Magneto has the benefit of confronting the X-Men within his subterranean Arctic lair, and even though they have some element of surprise, they're also recovering from prior hardships. This is a classic - let's see how it went!

History: X-Men (1-0-1)
The Tape: X-Men Ranking: Wolverine (#4)

What Went Down...
Descending into his darkened lair: Magneto tends to his malfunctioning Nanny robot, fully aware the X-Men have likely escaped their shackles. He plays the fool, inviting a sudden assault from Cyclops, Banshee, and the other X-Men!

The Master of Magnetism is forced to fall humbled to the floor as the concussive force of their ranged attacks overwhelms him! Even braced for impact, the combined power was nearly more than he could handle!

Wolverine is the first to emerge from the dark, with claws at the ready, but Cyclops psychically calls him off. The X-Men have a game plan and Wolverine must wait his turn -- or have none at all!

Wolverine obeys -- while Storm struggles to initiate the next phase of their plan: extract the humidity from the air around Magneto.

Though fatigued from the effort of orchestrating their earlier escape, Storm works at her invisible offensive. Not that he knows it! Magneto rises, gloating that he's had time to recover. He doesn't hear Banshee coming up behind!

Gliding through the darkness, Banshee delivers an intensely focused sonic scream directly to Magneto's back! As soon as the blast hits, Cyclops gives Wolverine the telepathic signal to go for broke!

Striking mercilessly from behind - Wolverine rips through Magneto's cape and rakes unbreakable adamantium claws against his back!

Magneto yells in agony, lashing out with a sudden wave of his hand that sends Wolverine hurtling across the pitch black arena! Even as he dispatches one X-Man - another steps forward, igniting the lair with the light of the Phoenix!

Magnetic shields offer a defensive buffer as Jean Grey blasts Magneto with the Phoenix's flame, but the force of her power pushes him into a nearby console!

The lair's control centre explodes at his back as Magneto begins to feel the dehydrating effects of Storm's efforts -- and perhaps the encroaching heat of the volcanic magma surrounding the underground facility.

There's little time to contemplate temperature as Colossus barrels down upon Magneto! The steel-skinned mutant wasn't part of the plan, but his efforts prove none the less effective as he silences Magneto with a devastating right hand!

Colossus buries his fist in Magneto's mid-section, desperately fighting to keep the Master of Magnetism off-balance enough to avoid becoming a metallic pawn under his powers!

The affront works, but his teammates conspire to lend a helping hand -- much to Nightcrawler's chagrin! Beast swings him by the tail like a human wrecking ball and lets him loose -- to teleport with momentum straight at Magneto's head! The acrobat collects his helmet while Colossus winds up for a kayo!

The punch Colossus delivers would've destroyed any normal man -- but Magneto defiantly clings to consciousness like iron to a magnet!

At that moment Nightcrawler notices lava seeping through the ceiling. The damaged control console has triggered an irreversible sequence that will open the roof and flood the chamber with the volcano above!

Precious seconds tick away as Cyclops searches for a way out. Magneto mocks the X-Men, blaming their dire predicament on the reckless actions of Phoenix. He is fast becoming their only hope for survival -- and with that he seizes his opportunity, throwing Colossus and the others away with a magnetic wave!

The X-Men scramble to avoid the searing touch of pouring lava! Banshee glides along sonic waves to snatch Wolverine clear of harm. Jean Grey narrowly avoids a dice with danger when Beast tackles her clear.

Magneto summons his helmet back to him and takes leave, using magnetic fields to repel the magma and safely forge his way toward the surface! He leaves the X-Men desperately fighting to survive as the facility collapses.

The Hammer...

Things looked pretty dire for a while there, but Magneto's ability to take a licking and keep on ticking gave him the chance to make full use of his home ground advantage. If they hadn't been encased in volcanic lava, the X-Men might not have snatched defeat from the hands of victory! Whoops!

As this issue comes to an end we see Phoenix explode from the ground, carrying Beast to the snowy surface above. The rest of the X-Men are presumed dead, but the next issue will reveal they tunneled their way into the Savage Land.

Magneto escaped, but he lost a valuable base of operations housing a wealth of data collected over many months. Anyone who's lost a hard drive without backups knows how that stings! I presume whatever information was gained by attacking Australia was for, and stored safely, on board Asteroid M.

I've been eager to feature more Magneto and the X-Men on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, so this one's been on the docket for quite some time. It's the earliest in the Chris Claremont/John Byrne run we've looked at so far, but not the earliest meeting between arch-foes. X-Men #6 still holds that distinction.

The creative team doesn't feel quite as sharp as they eventually will, but there's still so much to like about this issue! I was particularly drawn to its depiction of Colossus -- another mutant I've been hoping to spend more time with.

I'm a little leery on Magneto's ability to withstand heavy blows dealt by the Russian hero, but I suppose you can presume he's dampening the hits with his magnetic powers. It's worth it for some great Byrne drawn action!

Their head-on collision is a great moment that obviously looks cool, but also adds dramatic tension as Colossus runs the risk of submitting his metallic body to exploitation by Magneto. He was supposed to hang back, but as in a lot of early Colossus appearances, there's a determination to prove himself as the powerhouse every fan wants him to be. His relentless fighting does the trick!

Of course, it's really a classic case of an X-Men team effort. Their ability to work together is a key element that nearly wins them the fight. Each member gets a moment to shine, including Beast, who only recently reunited with the team after leaving the Avengers to answer a distress call from Polaris, and help his old teammates out of a jam. His team-up with Nightcrawler is a real treat! Two agile, furry blue heroes I love, but don't remember seeing together a whole lot.

The lineup of X-Men featured in the issue is right up there with the best. Magneto is also in fine form as a formidable villain, too. The white knuckle nature of the fighting means there's little time for any of the hokey villainy he sometimes dips into. Byrne's rendering of the classic design, especially when the helmet casts solid shadow over his face, is really thrilling!

I noticed in the time while I was working on this entry Rob Liefeld kicked X-Men #113 back into discussion. He used the opening page as an example of Magneto's days as a definitive Marevl villain. Regardless of how you might feel about contemporary examples, it's definitely a period worth investigating, if you haven't.

You can find this issue and many more collected in the first Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. Use the Amazon links provided to get yourself a good price and help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths in the process!

You can find more from the characters featured in today's battle by following links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Index for a complete archive of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Subscribe to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths via Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like and share your faves!

Winner: Magneto
#138 (+270) Magneto
#4 (--) Wolverine
#49 (-1) Beast
#51 (-1) Storm
#81 (-1) Cyclops
#131 (-9) Phoenix (Jean Grey)
#354 (-77) Banshee
#405 (-7) Colossus
#929 (-33) Nightcrawler

This post has been moved. Please find the correct link here: Carnage versus New Avengers.

COVER TO COVER: 2019 TOP 20 FEATURED FIGHTS!

Happy new year, true believers! Another 12 months of the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths have come to an end! You can catch up on all the battles fought in the 2019 Feature Fight Recap, but here we're crowning the 20 Best  Battles as determined by you!

One battle quickly established itself as bigger than the rest: The #1 fight dominated interest in a year that was expected to be much more cosmic than it was. Dueling Marvels brought a strong following to respective camps, while movies continued to highlight comic book originals. Scroll through the covers below to get the 2019 Top 20 Featured Fights in list form. You can also revisit the top battles from 2018, 2017, and 2016!

By hitting the covers below you'll find popular fights featuring: Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Superman, Thanos, Joker, Silver Surfer, Carnage, Mysterio, Hellboy, Hulk, Thor, Conan The Barbarian, The Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and more!

Behind The Covers
1. COSMIC POWERS vs TYRANT (Silver Surfer #82)
2. MARVEL FAMILY vs MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL (Convergence Shazam #1)
3. MS MARVEL vs PROWLER (Ms Marvel #6)
4. JUSTICE LEAGUE vs CAPTAIN MARVEL (Underworld Unleashed #3)
5. DAREDEVIL vs MYSTERIO (Daredevil #7)
6. MS MARVEL vs THE COLLECTIVE (New Avengers #17)
7. THOR vs CONAN (What If? #39)
8. HELLBOY vs CAMAZOTZ (Hellboy in Mexico)
9. LOBO vs SUPERMAN (Adventures of Superman #464)
10. AVENGERS vs THANOS (Free Comic Book Day Civil War II #1)
11. MS MARVEL vs SUPER-SKRULL (Marvel Team-Up #62)
12. CARNAGE FAMILY vs SPIDER-MAN, CLOAK & DAGGER (Web of Spider-Man #101)
13. BATMAN vs RED HOOD (Batman: The Killing Joke)
14. HULK vs CHAMPION OF THE UNIVERSE (Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7)
15. SPIDER-MAN vs MYSTERIO (Amazing Spider-Man #13)
16. FLASH vs KID FLASH (The Flash TV Special #1)
17. HELLFIRE CLUB vs X-MEN (Uncanny X-Men #209)
18. DOCTOR LIGHT vs GREEN LANTERN (Green Lantern #36)
19. PENGUIN vs GREEN ARROW (Justice League of America #135)
20. SPIDER-MAN vs MYSTERIO (Spider-Man #65)