BLITZKRIEG versus STORM

Chapter 5: Fourth Contest: Struggle in the Jungle! (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #3 When: August 1982 Why: Mark Gruenwald, Steven Grant & Bill Mantlo How: John Romita Jr

The Story So Far...
Across the universe there exists immortal entities whose existence determines cosmic reality. The Grandmaster is one such being: an Elder of the Universe whose taste for games inspires a Contest of Champions!

Snatching the world's heroes from a temporarily frozen Earth; The Grandmaster drafts a team of twelve to represent him in a contest of life and death! His team will race to find segments of a golden artifact scattered to the four corners of the Earth!

The Grandmaster's ultimate prize is the restoration of his immortal brother: The Collector! Killed by the man-god Korvac; The Collector's demise is beyond even the vast cosmic reach of a fellow Elder. Thus, The Grandmaster's contest pits him against the ultimate opponent - Death herself!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Storm 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 2 (Average)
Stamina: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Agility: Storm 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Storm 4 (Trained)
Energy: Draw 5 (Lasers)
Total: Storm 23 (Champion)

It's the Contest of Champions, which means two teams of three represent The Grandmaster and Death in a race to recover a special artifact! Within each trial there are inevitable battles breaking out between competing heroes. That's our special area of interest, with today's clash promising sparks will fly!

Competing for The Grandmaster is Blitzkrieg: a West German hero making his debut in the 1982 series, partnered here with Captain America and Sasquatch.

In civilian life he was Franz Mittelstaedt: an electrical technician who was struck by lightning while inspecting a faulty generator. Blitzkrieg's origins and powers are similar to the villain Electro, but his ability to manipulate and direct charge lends itself more uniquely to generating and commanding the course of lightning strikes. That's something he'll find in abundance against today's opponent!

Storm literally represents Death in this contest, partnering with Collective Man and Shamrock. Usually she keeps the company of the mutant X-Men, but she's no stranger to flying solo for a cosmic contest like this one!

In Marvel versus DC #3, Storm brought lightning down upon Wonder Woman, securing a victory after the Amazon threw away the storm-bringing powers of Thor's hammer. No such clemency in today's battle, where lightning strikes will only grant Blitzkrieg more ammunition to electrocute her with!

Storm is typically a measured fighter with a keen mind for tactics. If she can avoid being bamboozled by an unfamiliar foe, her mutant ability to control the gamut of weather phenomena will give her a huge advantage!

We saw Storm's skills used tactically when she subtly raised the humidity to slow down Magneto in X-Men #113. She can also summon hurricane force winds, pummeling rain & hail, or a bitter cold to freeze her foe to the bone.

Storm does have one glaring weakness: claustrophobia. We saw Deathstroke use this debilitating fear of enclosed spaces against her in Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans. The jungle setting in today's battle doesn't present any obvious risk for enclosure, so the forecast should be sunny for Storm!

The Tape: Storm Ranking: Storm (#51)

What Went Down...
Introductions are cut short as Blitzkrieg abruptly leaves his teammates, leaping on a stream of electrically charged particles to pursue their goal in the Contest.

It isn't long before "The Lord of the Lightning Strike" is spotted by one of their opponents who soars above the jungle terrain. With a simple gesture he sends lightning streaking towards her, forming an ensnaring electrical cage!

The German hero doesn't realise he's attack the mutant mistress of elements. With an indignant flexing of her muscles, Storm summons the necessary influence to shatter the cage, sending lightning blasting outward!

The skies darken as Storm catches up with her airborne opponent, but the raging thunder is a herald to more lightning that serves the will of Blitzkrieg. He turns its bolts against her, demanding that she yield to his power.

Blitzkrieg may have the advantage of shaping the lightning, but Storm controls all that her namesake entails!

The howling gale answers Storm's command as she whips Blitzkrieg with intense rain and unforgiving winds! The lightning rider is immediately humbled, flung from the skies like a leaf in a hurricane!

The Hammer...
The victory goes to Storm, but the story doesn't end there. She expresses displeasure with being a pawn for her mysterious overseer, (Death), and is unseen as the race to uncover the Contest's golden artifact concludes.

In fact, it's Blitzkrieg who recovers from the battle, and uses his powers to create a wind vortex by super-charging molecules in the air. This strips the jungle of leafy growth and exposes the artifact for retrieval.

It's a bit of a strange twist, given how naturally Storm would've performed the same function. I can only suspect there was some effort being made to support the characters that were newly introduced in Contest of Champions. Blitzkrieg gets some credibility back, while Shamrock ultimately wins the heat.

The three-issue series does a decent job of incorporating a few foreign national heroes who already existed, to better blend the newly minted global heroes with the old. Popular additions like Storm, Sasquatch, and Black Panther lend heft to the concept, setting up headlining dream bouts like Wolverine vs Black Panther.

The international heroes created for the event weren't the most inspired bunch, but I appreciate the global flavor they added to the Marvel Universe.

With jingoistic origins circa World War II and The Cold War; Marvel Comics has tended to disproportionately populate the world with American super-heroes, and a modest smattering of European villains. The Contest went a ways to superficially addressing some of that issue, even if only by accident.

According to series editor Tom DeFalco: the Contest of Champions was originally conceived as a Marvel Treasury Edition to tie-in with the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. That plan was upended when the United States and their allies opted to boycott the Games over the Soviet Union's conflict in Afghanistan.

American audiences typically prefer to consume American stories and American characters. Marvel Treasury Edition #25 would later feature a Winter Olympic tie-in with Team USA, but the depleted Summer Games meant the original concept was effectively shelved, even as inker Pablo Marcos continued to work on pages from his home in South America.

Two confused years later and Pablo Marcos arrives in the Marvel offices in 1981 with around forty finished pages. Mixed communications had allowed Marcos to continue inking at a leisurely pace. DeFalco credits Mark Gruenwald with rapidly re-envisioning the finished work to pitch the mini-series we eventually got.

Adjustments for two years of publishing meant extensive reworking was needed to meet updated costumes and context, but it all worked out in the end. Sort of. There is one very famous mistake in this issue, which was ultimately completely edited by a promoted Gruenwald, while DeFalco dealt with personal tragedy. It completely undermines the end of the event, but that's a story for another day.

We're basically here to focus on Blitzkrieg, who's currently appearing in our own unofficial sequel to Contest of Champions. You can check out The Contest: Plastic Man vs Blitzkrieg to find out all about that, with a little added context now that you've seen the West German hero in action!

It's worth noting that West Germany was a country. This series was published in 1982: seven years before the Berlin Wall was torn down, and the subsequent reunification of Germany in 1990. That fact doesn't hold any special significance to the story, but it's an interesting piece of the time capsule it represents.

As you may have intuitively recognized; Blitzkrieg didn't go on to great success in the Marvel Universe. He was perhaps most notable for a short stint appearing in Mark Gruenwald's Captain America in the early nineties. There, he was briefly seen as part of the Schutz Heiligruppe: a German superhero team attempting to charge Red Skull and the Skeleton Crew with war crimes. Blitzkrieg made his final appearance in 1995, murdered by a teammate who was a serial hero killer.

I'm sure Blitzkrieg is a character few will miss, but I think it's a little bit of a shame he was so flippantly done away with. This is the kind of character that's good to keep in the mix for whenever they might be a story that calls for local German heroes. There are others, but none will have the history of debuting in The Contest of Champions.

If you wish to discover more contests like this you could follow links throughout this article, or dive into the Secret Index for a complete archive of featured fights ordered by publisher, series, and issue!

If you like what Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is all about and want to see it succeed you can go the extra mile on Patreon. Patrons help keep the lights on and can get involved with extra voting polls and special feature articles!

You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day! Don't forget to like and share, and keep your eyes peeled for Contest poll update! I want to hear from you!

Winner: Storm
#37 (+14) Storm
#904 (new) Blitzkrieg (Franz Mittelstaedt)

THE CONTEST: PLASTIC MAN versus BLITZKRIEG

It had to happen! The Grandmaster has watched the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for many years and now he 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 fixed Fight Club Rankings. Each battle will be decided by you in fantasy fight polls held on Twitter, Facebook and Patreon!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Plastic Man 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Blitzkrieg 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Plastic Man 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Plastic Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Plastic Man 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Blitzkrieg 5 (Lasers)
Total: Plastic Man 27 (Metahuman)

First win went to The Grandmaster, but it was a close result, and there's still plenty of fightin' to be done! Things are gettin' a little weird in today's Contest. I think this is where I can even the score!

When he was recruiting his team for The Contest of Champions, The Grandmaster scoured the globe, plucking brand new heroes from total obscurity. German lightning warrior Blitzkrieg might not have the reputation of other well known Marvel heroes, but he's an economy pick as an unranked fighter that will cost The Grandmaster zero points from his remaining 4067pts!

Blitzkrieg is Franz Mittelstaedt: an electrical technician who was struck by lightning while inspecting a faulty generator. He awoke with the ability to manipulate and direct a static charge, allowing him to wield powerful lightning bolts! He can zap enemies into submission and literally ride lightning!

It didn't work for me last time, but I'm sticking with strategic thinking, and selecting a DC hero who can perfectly counter the electrical threat he's up against!

So far on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths we've only seen Plastic Man helping defend New York City when the Sinestro Corps attacked in Green Lantern #25. There, his super-elastic abilities were merely alluded to while he rescued citizens with an army of other heroes. That limited exposure means we don't have a lot of in-house fight references to call upon, but he's also priced mid-range at a fixed 667pts. A little pricey, but

Patrick "Eel" O'Brien was safe cracker for a burglary ring when he was shot by a night watchmen and exposed to strange chemicals during a late night heist on Crawford Chemical Works. Left for dead by his gang, Eel chose to devote himself to a more virtuous existence when he discovered his body could twist and contort into any shape imaginable -- as if made of rubber!

That rubbery quality is what I'm counting on to defeat Blitzkrieg! Although susceptible to the effects of sudden intense heat, Plastic Man has been known to be completely immune to the effects of lightning! Rubber is a poor conduction and I think Plas' can absorb the German's best attacks, and use his limitless shape-shifting to deliver a knock-out blow in record time!

The Verdict (Updated March 10th)...

It was to be another test of chemistry as I put my chips on the rubbery composition of Plastic Man absorbing the lightning strikes controlled by Blitzkrieg.

It seemed like a sound strategy, particularly late in the voting period, when a bonus battle demonstrated solid evidence that Plas' could take a lightning strike unscathed, in Plastic Man #7!

Unsurprisingly, Let's Talk Plastic Man was certain of the outcome from the very outset! They didn't mince words, cutting straight to the point: "Plastic Man definitely wins".

Their confidence may have spoken to the popular presumption that a Plastic Man win was an open and shut case, but it wasn't nearly so simple! 57.1% of the Twitter vote went in favour of Plastic Man, but a reduced number in votes meant Blitzkrieg was right in it!

Although Plastic Man #7 provided surprisingly rare evidence of Plastic Man's non-conductive properties -- it also showed how a lightning wielding villain could get the drop on him. Indirect methods of attack may've been on the minds of those voting for Blitzkrieg, but there were probably some who felt enough electricity could wear Plastic Man down.

Facebook was a wash, generating a disappointing turnout for 100% in favour of Plastic Man. It seems the relative obscurity of the players involved just didn't capture the imagination of the voting public like the previous all-star battle. The aggregate result finished 62.5% for a Plastic Man win.

A win's a win, which means Round 2 goes to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

We'll be back for Round 3 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: Plastic Man

The Grandmaster: - 1

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: -1

<< The Contest: Swamp Thing vs Sasquatch [Home] The Contest: Black Canary vs Daredevil >>

KLAW versus DAREDEVIL

Context! (Marvel)
Where: Daredevil #237 When: December 1986
Why: John Harkness How: Louis Williams

The Story So Far...
An encounter with the sound manipulating mutant called Dazzler saw Klaw absorbed and dissipated when she used his powers to attack the world devourer: Galactus. Thus began a strange cosmic journey for the formless Klaw!

When The Beyonder summoned Galactus to Battleworld for his Secret Wars: Doctor Doom was able to discover and reform Klaw from his lifeless prison within the circuitry of Galactus' ship. Resurrection was brief, however, as the mad Master of Sound became a weapon against The Beyonder -- and then host for the cosmic being when it briefly surrendered its omnipotence!

Returned to Earth with his solid sound body in tact, Klaw becomes desperate to restore his reputation within the criminal ranks, and prove himself free from madness. Finding himself in New York City, he soon comes upon Daredevil: the perfect hero to prove he's still as dangerous as ever!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Klaw 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Klaw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Daredevil 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Klaw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Daredevil 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Daredevil 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Klaw 5 (Lasers)
Total: Draw 26 (Metahuman)

Sound has been an invaluable asset to Daredevil, supplying the blind hero with a vivid impression of the world around him via his radar sense! He "sees" better than most, but what happens when that sound is turned against him?

Ulysses Klaw was a physicist who developed a sonic transducer capable of channeling sound into a solid state. He famously used his sonic converter to create animate objects while battling Black Panther in Fantastic Four #53.

Defeated and left for dead at the end of that battle, Klaw was forced to seek refuge within his main converter, and in doing so, was transformed into a being of pure sound! He could now manipulate his own composition like that of his solid sound creations, making him exceptionally durable, and capable of reforming himself if dissipated.

Klaw is quite simply the self-professed "Master of Sound" and that means he should be able to completely dominate Daredevil's perception! He can turn heightened hearing into an acute vulnerability, punishing Daredevil while also completely robbing him of his perception of the world around him!

We've seen Mysterio and Deadpool toy with Daredevil's enhanced hearing in Daredevil #7 and Contest of Champions II #4, but this is the first time we're witnessing an all-out sonic assault.

Daredevil is an exceptionally resourceful hero who's dealt with blindness for the majority of his life. He should have enough wherewithal to escape Klaw if the situation calls for it, but without some sort of technological assist, I think this is one battle Daredevil might struggle to win! How'd he do? Let's listen in...

The Tape: Draw Ranking: Daredevil (#12)

What Went Down...
A gentle hum betrays his coming... Matt Murdock sends girlfriend Karen Page away from the impending danger, and enters the shadows to reemerge as Daredevil. He confronts the source of the sound and finds the man called Klaw!

It could've been any hero to satisfy Klaw's campaign for recognition, but of all the alleys in New York City he had to walk into Daredevil's.

Friendship with Black Panther arms DD with knowledge of what he's up against, but it's the rising hum of Klaw's own weapon that really tips him off to the coming attack!

The early warning allows Daredevil to backflip gracefully over the sonic blast!

The blind hero calls upon his training with Stick to make the awesome sound bearable to his hyper sensitive ears. He blocks the cacophony out and tosses his trusty billy club at its source, finding the chest of Klaw's solid body.

The club bounces off Klaw and ricochets off a nearby wall, to be collected by DD as he leaps a streaming blast of sonic force and moves in for an attack.

Daredevil launches himself at Klaw -- but his body is violently deflected by an impenetrable field of sound surrounding the villain!

He drops hard at Klaw's feet, but shakes it off quickly to catch the villain by surprise with an upward back thrusting kick. It strikes Klaw right on the chin!

The blow succeeds in stunning Klaw for just a moment, and fuels further frustration. He bemoans his recent predicament and desperate need to reclaim his reputation within the villain fraternity. The distraction buys Daredevil precious time to sprint and leap for a nearby fire escape.

Distance gives Daredevil time to process his own situation, but his overhead position offers little advantage. It isn't long before he's blasted off the metal stairs as he scrambles upward -- and beset by a new threat!

An animate panther created from pure, solid sound suddenly stalks the hero!

The creature leaps at its prey, but Daredevil manages to stay low and clear of its claws. He swings his club back and hard, connecting with the cat's sharp bearing teeth. He twists and kicks low to get under the beast, using his legs to launch it over the fire escape railing to the unforgiving alley below!

The creature disappears as sound streams back into Klaw's hand worn device.

The villain is impressed and grateful for Daredevil's fight, which otherwise overcomes the hero's "small-time" status. He plots the hero's death and the boon it will bring to his reputation as he unleashes a sonic blast that reduces the lower level of the fire escape to scrap metal!

DD takes umbrage at the insult to his status, but never the less scrambles for his life towards the rooftop above. Klaw is there to greet him!

The arrogant villain transmits himself to the roof before Daredevil can make it, failing to consider the hero's acrobatic prowess. DD uses the ladder for support as he vaults onto the roof, throwing his legs back and over himself to topple Klaw with a back flipping gymnastic kick!

Daredevil keeps on the attack, quickly reversing the momentum with a tackle that sends the pair hurtling off the top of the building!

His radar senses help him gracefully catch a flag pole on the way down, while Klaw continues to plummet uncontrollably to the street below!

Daredevil joins his foe on the ground, tactically landing opposite an electrical store. Klaw unleashes another sonic blast that Daredevil leaps clear of, leaving its destructive power to demolish the store's security doors.

The hero bounces past his opponent and into the store, where waits a piece of technology capable of generating powerful sonic vibrations.

In the hands of one as uniquely in tune with the sound around him, the tone generator becomes the ultimate equalizer! He adjusts the device just so to match Klaw's resonant frequency and unleashes the speaker's audio waves.

Waves of sound bombard Klaw! He twists and grimaces as the frequency rips through him. Completely unprepared to be matched in his own domain, he drops to the floor a baffled and quivering mess, before at last passing out.

The Hammer...
It seemed like the odds were stacked against him, but all Daredevil needed was the right hi-fi to blow Klaw away!

Truth be told, I'm a little disappointed with how easily he endured and dispatched the threat. If it wasn't for some lip service about Stick training him to make the world more manageable, this would've been a superhero street fight like any other.

The "Master of Sound" is arguably the pitch perfect villain to hit Daredevil right where it hurts. DD relies on sound to navigate the world via his heightened radar-sense. Klaw's mere presence should be irksome, and when he opens up with a sonic blast -- Daredevil's world should be turned upside down!

In 1986 they weren't likely to build a six issue epic around this kind of meeting, but a clash of opposites as perfect as this could've at least warranted a two-parter. This is the kind of match-up that should've ended the first issue with a dramatic shot of Daredevil on his knees, holding his ears in agony! A reversal of what ultimate happens.

Black Widow makes an awkward appearance early in the issue to confront her ex-lover about his life choices, and an anti-drugs campaign. She would've been the perfect foil to show up at the right time to pull Daredevil out of the fire, possibly setting up a rematch with additional assistance, or ingenuity.

Daredevil had an existing relationship with Black Panther that might've been the obvious way to resolve a rematch. These days that would probably involve a new vibranium-weave suit he'd wear for a year or two, but Black Widow as liaison for a good old fashioned team-up battle would've done the job, too.

Perhaps something along those lines was the plan originally: "John Harkness" is a pseudonym for writer Steve Englehart, who'd requested the reins of regular writer after Frank Miller's epic run, but only wound up turning in a single issue.

As he explained in an interview with ManWithoutFear.com: Englehart had planned to use the breaking point of Born Again to move DD out of Hell's Kitchen, across the country to San Francisco. Daredevil and Black Widow would join the ranks of the West Coast Avengers, creating drama through Matt Murdock's dual relationships, in & out of costume, with Natasha and Karen Page.

Englehart had already written the beginning of his run, but a fill-in issue by Ann Nocenti upset his plans. According to Englehart, Nocenti's status as editor meant he would have to retool his script, rather than the fill-in accommodating the incumbent regular writer. Thems the breaks and Englehart decided to bow out, feeling the challenge of following Miller wasn't worth it if he didn't have his best possible plot lined up.

We could still reasonably speculate that Klaw might've followed Daredevil and Widow to the West Coast. Perhaps they would've had a more meaningful confrontation, resolved by the Avengers' ties to Black Panther, or another hero.

It's interesting to imagine just how different the Marvel Universe might've looked if Englehart's plans had played out. Personally, I prefer Daredevil as the loner hero who turned down the New Avengers when they offered him membership in 2005. I'm also quiet partial to Ann Nocenti's run on DD, too.

There was definitely more to be said with the Daredevil/Klaw paradigm, which is probably why Mark Waid revisited the natural match-up when he took a run in 2011. A rematch we'll have to revisit some point in the future!

If you thought Daredevil won this one far too easily, you might like to check out the fantasy fight that inspired today's selection: Black Canary versus Daredevil! "The Contest" is a battle between my DC selections and The Grandmaster's Marvel heroes. Voting for the next battle will begin very soon. Stay tuned!

If you like Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and want to see it continue to succeed you can now support the project via Patreon. Patrons get an extra outlet to vote in The Contest and can get involved in various other special features.

Gain free access to a complete archive of every featured fight by delving deep into the Secret Index! There you'll find links to every battle in order of publisher, series, and issue number. You can also subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get links to daily battles inspired by the topics of the day! Remember to like & share to appear wiser and more attractive to your friends!

Winner: Daredevil
#11 (+1) Daredevil
#917 (-34) Klaw

COVER TO COVER: BIRDS OF PREY!

The Birds of Prey are running riot in cinemas everywhere, and whether you're a fan of their big screen antics - or are looking for an antidote to the Hollywood aesthetic - this week's Cover to Cover has got you... covered! Harley Quinn, Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya, Black Mask, and Victor Zsasz are all here -- plus more of your DC Universe favourites!

Clobber the covers below to discover classic comic book battles featuring the Birds of Prey in battle with: Batman, The Joker, Superman, Captain Marvel, Deathstroke, Catwoman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Red Hood, Vixen, Hawkgirl, Lex Luthor, Green Lantern, Gorilla Grodd, Cheetah, and more!

Behind The Covers
1. MARVEL FAMILY vs EARTH-ONE ft BLACK CANARY (Crisis on Infinite Earths #6)
2. BLACK CANARY vs GLASS MAN (Secret Origins #32)
3. BAT FAMILY ft BLACK CANARY & HUNTRESS vs VILLAINS (Underworld Unleashed #3)
4. BATMAN vs HARLEY QUINN (Harley Quinn #25)
5. BATMAN & CATWOMAN vs HARLEY QUINN (Batman #613)
6. BATMAN & CATWOMAN vs JOKER & HARLEY QUINN (Batman #614)
7. MISTER ZSASZ vs BATMAN & ROBIN (Detective Comics #796)
8. RED HOOD vs BLACK MASK (Batman #648)
9. DEATHSTROKE vs BIRDS OF PREY (Birds of Prey #90)
10. BATMAN vs JOKER & HARLEY QUINN (Batman #663)
11. RENEE MONTOYA vs RICHARD DRAGON (52 #41)
12. INJUSTICE LEAGUE vs JUSTICE LEAGUE (Justice League of America #15)

RENEE MONTOYA versus RICHARD DRAGON

Miracles & Wonders (DC)
Where: 52 #41 When: April 2007 Why: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka & Mark Waid How: Giuseppe Camuncoli w/ Keith Giffen

The Story So Far...
Pushed to the edge by her investigations into a corrupt cop, and the related murder of Detective Crispus Allen: Renee Montoya quit the Gotham City Police Department only to descend into a drunken downward spiral.

Montoya found new purpose as a hired agent of The Question, travelling the globe to investigate an Intergang conspiracy, all the while unaware she was being groomed to replace the faceless hero once he succumbed to terminal lung cancer.

Montoya's apprenticeship takes her to Nanda Parbat where the master Richard Dragon will prepare her to become The Question. As Vic Sage exits this mortal coil she fights to live up to his legacy, but soon finds she must live up to herself!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Richard Dragon 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Richard Dragon 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Richard Dragon 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Richard Dragon 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Richard Dragon 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Richard Dragon 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Renee Montoya 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Richard Dragon 27 (Metahuman)

Today's battle is all about student and master, but it's also a double debut for The Comic Book Fight Club! We've somehow missed one of Gotham City's finest, and a renowned master of martial arts. Let's get a quick primer for both!

Renee Montoya was a uniform police officer with the GCPD until she was promoted to homicide detective by Commissioner Gordon, and partnered with Harvey Bullock. They served during the No Man's Land saga that left an earthquake ravaged Gotham cut-off from the mainland, and overrun with criminals like Two-Face, who took a unique shine towards the detective.

When Harvey Bullock was promoted, Montoya received a new partner named Crispus Allen, who was eventually murdered by dirty crime scene investigator Jim Corrigan. This triggered a violent slide that eventually led Renee to quit the force and come to the attention of The Question, who initiated her training.

Richard Dragon studied martial arts under the tutelage of legendary Japanese grandmaster: O-Sensei. Mastering multiple disciplines, he eventually joined the Global Organization of Organized Defense, partnered with friend and fellow student, Ben Turner. They travelled the world thwarting international espionage until Turner was brainwashed by the League of Assassins, and Richard retired.

Dragon had previously counseled rival-turned-ally, Lady Shiva, and applied these skills to the training of new fighters. Among his most noteworthy students have been: The Question, Batman, Nightwing, Oracle, and Huntress.

Given Renee Montoya has come to Richard Dragon for training, there's clearly an inherent disparity between their skill levels. Montoya's a street wise cop who can handle herself, but it would undoubtedly be considered an upset if she were able to outfight a master of karate, kung fu, and assorted other styles.

Montoya has travelled to Nanda Parbat to become the new Question, and has already spent some time under the late Vic Sage's guidance. The end goal is a Renee Montoya who is ready to confront criminals with her wits and fists. When she's ready, she should be able to take a sparring session. So... Is she ready?...

The Tape: Renee Montoya Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...
Summoned to the cold of an icy cave, Renee Montoya seeks audience with Richard Dragon. She finds her master's visage refracted in the ice, admonishing her for token efforts of dining with monks, and a change of clothes. He strikes!

Montoya defends against his simple fist and retaliates with a craning palm strike. She insists her intentions are to carry on as The Question intended, but Richard Dragon is not convinced.

He blocks a swinging punch as swiftly as her token indulgence, and accuses her of trading the bottle for a gi to deal with feelings of loss and guilt. Martial arts are just another one night stand to lose herself in in the absence of a woman.

The mournful student throws a kick, insisting she isn't denying her grief, but the master catches her ankle and sees beyond the surface. Feeling and accepting the loss are two very different things. Montoya is exposed, allowing Dragon to easily take her off her feet with a sweeping kick. He challenges his student to face herself!

The takedown puts Montoya on the ground and the master literally forces her to confront her own vision in the reflection of the cave's ice, lifting her head!

The student sees herself reflected many times in the ice. She recoils -- pushing away from the reflections and past the released grip of Richard Dragon.

The master watches sternly as Montoya turns to run from the cave, unready for the challenge of confronting all that is inside her.

The Hammer...
Nothing like a little sparring to shatter your confidence! Richard Dragon remains the unsurpassed master as Renee Montoya meets the obstacle of self - and fails.

It might seem a little bit cliché, but you really can't go wrong with a moment of self-doubt on the path of the hero's journey. It's nothing a little time and quiet contemplation won't solve. In fact, it only took a few issues. Such were the needs of 52: a year-long, weekly series that challenged and excited the market with its anthology of long form, weekly episodes.

It was interesting to see the experiment used to depict the post-modern making of a superhero. The world has seen its fair share of origin stories, but rarely are they told so deliberately, showing selection through to apprenticeship.

Renee Montoya was as good a choice as any, having been a hardened Gotham cop who'd seen adventures in print and animation for a good fifteen years. The only obvious drawback was that it essentially meant losing two great characters to gain one that didn't serve either role quite as well.

The Question is just one of those characters who's undeniably cool.

The visual of a faceless man in hat and trench coat is all you really need. Throw in a swirl of smoke, and the gritty atmosphere of a dark, conspiring modern metropolis, and you've got yourself a recipe for intrigue.

Its a little galling that a character inspired by The Question has challenged his place in mainstream pop awareness. Anything Rorschach can do, The Question could arguably do better.

Talk of a Rorschach revival is always a bit silly when The Question is right there, ready and waiting. He's an icon unburdened by the legacy and vision of Watchmen, or the bitter ugliness that lies inherent in Rorschach.

The strength of the visual is such that re-envisioning The Question as Renee Montoya wasn't the worst idea in the world. Contrary to their current status: DC has been home to some of the best examples of legacy hand-overs in superhero comics! Renee Montoya was a better successor to The Question than Walter Kovacs ever was [that's Rorschach's real name, kids]. For whatever reason, it just didn't seem to capture the same mystique that followed the elusive original, or its Denny O'Neil defined adaptation.

Montoya was her own character. It was equally disappointing to lose an identifiable face on the streets of Gotham.

Given enough time, average everyday mortals tend to fall by the wayside in superhero comics. Renee Montoya was a cop you could identity, with a history and character all her own. She was a mortal presence who hadn't quite suffered an irrevocably hideous indignity, or foul end. A rarity for the times!

Honing Renee Montoya's skills so she can survive and thrive in the crime-ridden streets isn't such a bad idea. It's just nice to have a regular human we care about, too. Somebody to fill out the immortal ranks of the GCPD beside the likes of Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock. With hindsight, we can see there was already a Question. Maybe what the world needs is a Renee Montoya, too.

Renee Montoya is currently appearing on screens everywhere in Birds of Prey.

If you'd like to witness her comic book journey to becoming The Question, you can find today's featured sparring (and much more) in 52 Volume 2. Do your shopping via the Amazon link provided and you'll help support the site at no extra cost!

Discover more from the characters mentioned throughout this article by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the ever-expanding Secret Archive! There you'll find an index of links to every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue.

If you like Secret Wars on Infinite Earths and wish to contribute more directly you can help support the project via Patreon. You can also get free daily links to topical battles by subscribing via Twitter and Facebook! Be sure to hit like and subscribe on your favourites!

Winner: Richard Dragon
#333 (new) Richard Dragon
#904 (new) Renee Montoya

DEATHSTROKE versus BIRDS OF PREY

Perfect Pitch Part Five (DC)
Where: Birds of Prey #90 When: March 2006 Why: Gail Simone How: Paulo Siqueira & Adam DeKraker

The Story So Far...
Calculator has become the central nervous system behind unionized villains of The Society. Marshalling a network of criminals, information and intelligence, he helped create the ultimate force in organized crime -- but his online dominion is challenged by one white hat hacker: Oracle!

New incarnations of Hellhound and Black Spider failed to bring down Oracle's associates, The Birds of Prey, after torturing Savant, but one of the perks of The Society is having access to a near limitless army of super-villain back-up!

Deathstroke has his sights on terminating Black Canary and Huntress while they attempt to evacuate casualties of their last battle!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Savant 5 (Professor)
Speed: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Deathstroke 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Black Canary 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Huntress 3 (Explosives)
Total: Deathstroke 26 (Metahuman)

Calculator called in one of The Society's best available mercenaries to provide back-up! Deathstroke showed just how deadly he can be when he impaled Phantom Lady during a Society hit on the Freedom Fighters in Infinite Crisis #1!

Being deployed alone against a group of heroes shouldn't be an issue. He was largely able to manage the X-Men alone when they crossed over in Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans. He also famously and single-handedly set about dismantling the Justice League in Identity Crisis #3!

The Birds of Prey are: Black Canary, Huntress, Lady Blackhawk, Creote, and Savant.

The Identity Crisis battle still hangs over Black Canary in this encounter. He tied an airtight rubber mask over her head to silence the canary cry, and cuffed her to prevent any hand-to-hand reprisals. He utilized thorough tactics to beat the odds and systematically work his way through the likes of Flash, Zatanna, Hawkman, and Green Arrow.

We saw Green Arrow win his rematch with Deathstroke in Green Arrow #62, which highlighted the benefits of knowing the enemy and changing up the play.

Her sonic canary cry remains her best advantages over Deathstroke. We saw its power bring the Marvel Family to their knees in Crisis on Infinite Earths #6, and dissipate Shadow Thief in Justice League of America #15. She also defeated Giganta in the latter issue, using agility, and Cheshire, with fighting technique.

After their last battle, The Canary will know not to rely on her sonic attack. Like Green Arrow, she'll look to use her own tactical and combat skills to match The Terminator as best she can, while working to undermine his meticulous style.

In Underworld Unleashed #3, we saw Huntress help turn the tables against a cadre of super-villains with reckless abandon. Her improvised use of explosives seemingly endangered Black Canary, but it was a calculated risk that also got her out of harm. That ruthlessness could compliment Canary during this fight!

Lady Blackhawk is en route at the start of the fight and could provide air support to clear Deathstroke if things go bad. Savant is wounded from being tortured, and Creote will likely stay with him.

The Tape: Birds of Prey Ranking: Black Canary (#38)

What Went Down...
On a lonely rooftop in Gotham City the Birds of Prey drag their wounded topside to await transport. When they get to the rain spattered roof they soon find The Society had a third man watching over proceedings: Deathstroke!

With a drawn sword already in his hand, Deathstroke offers the Birds a chance to leave the injured Black Spider and go freely. Black Canary spits the offer back in his face and shows him the difference between the last time he humiliated her in combat and now -- this time there aren't any Justice Leaguers in the way!

Huntress fires off three bolts from her crossbow while Black Canary launches into a leaping kick that catches Deathstroke by the side of the head.

Internally, Canary knows she was allowed to strike first so Deathstroke could show he won't be so easily hurt. She keeps him busy, talking trash about finding a way to beat him after their last encounter. In her mind, she remains trained on one thought: the three seconds of distraction that will allow her victory.

Deathstroke fires back with an uppercut that sends the Canary airborne and reminds her just how hard his super-soldier enhancements can hit!

Huntress jumps back into the fray, but Deathstroke blocks her punch and effortlessly swats her away with the backhand of his sword-wielding fist! The deals are off the table. Now he's playing for keeps!

Without warning -- Creote rushes across the rooftop at Deathstroke!

With no regard for his own life, the Russian special forces soldier attempts to grapple with Deathstroke. He seeks only to hurt the mercenary for the pain he and The Society inflicted upon his beloved Savant!

The impassioned assault tangles Deathstroke up for a moment, but is soon remedied with a backwards rolling judo toss.

Black Canary takes the opportunity to rush in and feint for the canary cry, allowing Deathstroke a pre-emptive strike that snaps the bone in her arm. It would've choked the voice in her throat -- if that were her true intent...

The gambit was merely providing distraction while Huntress snuck up from behind and attacked his vertical base with a low strike! The low blow provides the three seconds needed to extend two fingers, cut across Deathstroke's blind side, and thrust her digits into his good eye!

Blood spurts from The Terminator's mask and he recoils, swinging his sword wildly to push Black Canary back! She dedicates the strike to Phantom Lady.

Deathstroke pivots toward the edge of the rooftop and resumes a prepared stance. Canary's eye poke of doom didn't puncture the eyeball. It will heal -- not that he needs to actually see to kill any of them. Canary knows it, too.

Canary threatens to blast Deathstroke from the roof with her canary cry if he goes for his gun, but he's not convinced she'll be fast enough. The stand-off is suddenly interrupted by Lady Blackhawk, who appears on the fire escape behind Deathstroke with pistols drawn. She under estimates his ability!

Blackhawk's warning gave Deathstroke a location. He expertly twists his body around, disarming her with a twisting kick that carries him from the roof edge, onto the target and iron ledge. In seconds his hand is around her throat, dangling the pilot precariously over a multi-story drop!

The pouring rain tests his gloved grip and Black Canary has no choice but to concede to Slade's leverage. "Dammit. He wins. He always wins", she thinks spitefully. He commends her for almost beating him. Then: the unexpected!

Gunfire sprays the air, catching Deathstroke by surprise! The discharge sends him falling backwards over the fire escape rail with Lady Blackhawk!

The Canary throws herself forward to pull Lady Blackhawk back to the safety of the rainy rooftop. There, Savant sits worse for wear wielding one of Black Spider's smoking pistols. A favour to end his association with Oracle.

The Hammer...

It looked like a done deal when Deathstroke literally had them on their knees, but Savant managed to exploit the hard work of the Birds of Prey to pull out a slightly dubious last minute win!

This is essentially one of the follow-up battles to Identity Crisis #3, which drastically increased the stock of Deathstroke, and set up about a half a dozen legitimate rematches with various heroes.

Green Arrow in particular came out of Identity Crisis poised to become one of Deathstroke's new arch-rivals (or vice versa). This consequently made their rematch in Green Arrow #62 all about GA taking the master mercenary down. It established the pair as equals by flipping the script on Deathstroke's tactical foresight, showing Green Arrow could match him in planning and execution.

Not so in Birds of Prey #90, which delivers Deathstroke to Black Canary in overlap with events already unfolding in the series, and DCU at large. Primary is Calculator's obsession with besting Oracle, while the expanding influence of The Society also plays out, as it was in various other titles.

Both issues do a good job of juggling the lead protagonist's credibility against the newfound status of Deathstroke, but Birds of Prey dares to allow its hero to all but fail in service of the villain. Black Canary took him to the very edge, but with a broken arm and her allies in peril, she was forced to tap out.

For the purposes of our record: Savant will go down as victor, but he functions more like an exit strategy for the story. His eleventh hour gun spray credibly takes Deathstroke off the board without undermining his win. It was a fluke, but at least nobody got hurt (or killed).

It probably would've been more satisfying to just see Black Canary pull off the win, and really get justice for Phantom Lady's death in Infinite Crisis #1, but there's something to be said for the tenacity of the hero who comes up short, and keeps trying. They had a much toothier fight a year later in the Green Arrow & Black Canary Wedding Special, but that's a battle for another day.

Late last month we saw Black Canary and Huntress fighting together in Underworld Unleashed #3, but this is the first time looking specifically at the Birds of Prey series. A pretty ingenious way of getting the most out of a group of Gotham adjacent characters like Black Canary, Huntress, and Oracle.

A callous summary might have called it DC's answer to Charlie's Angels, but that doesn't capture the texture of the series, helped in part by the storied history behind leads Black Canary and Oracle, and the growth of the series. It isn't really 'the chick book' either, although it might be a fashionable compliment to say that it is. There's a fairly natural congregation of female acquaintances that makes good use of the platform, incorporating the likes of Lady Blackhawk, and building logical relationships between various heroes. Good stuff.

The world is now discovering a version thanks to the theatrical release of Birds of Prey featuring Harley Quinn. If you'd like to discover the comics, you can check out today's featured fight in Birds of Prey Vol. 5: Perfect Pitch. Use the Amazon link provided and you'll help support the site at no extra cost!

You can find more from the characters featured by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights by publisher, series, and issue number.

You can also get daily links to fights by following Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook. If you like what Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is about and want to see it prosper you can now support the project via Patreon.

Winner: Savant (w/ Black Canary, Huntress, Creote & Lady Blackhawk)
#332 (new) Savant
#38 (--) Black Canary [+1 assist]
#180 (+151) Huntress [+1 assist]
#574 (new) Creote [+1 assist]
#575 (new) Lady Blackhawk [+1 assist]
#78 (-7) Deathstroke