PEREGRINE versus ANGEL

Chapter 4: Third Contest: Siege in the City of the Dead! (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 exist immortal entities whose very being determines cosmic reality. The Grandmaster is one such entity: 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 must race to find segments of a golden artifact scattered to the four corners of the world. His ultimate prize will be the restoration of his immortal brother: The Collector!

Collector was killed by the mad man-god Michael Korvac, but his passing is beyond even the vast cosmic reach of a fellow Elder. Thus, The Grandmaster issues his challenge to the ultimate opponent - Death herself!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Angel 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 3 (Strong Willed)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Peregrine 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Draw 19 (Street-level)

We're back to the Contest of Champions and another battle spawned from its clash of teams representing The Grandmaster and his mysterious competition rival: Death! This time the battlefield is the air above the Shaanxi province of China. The team goal is to retrieve an artifact - but the fight is man to man!

Le Peregrine competes for The Grandmaster with teammates The Thing and Wolverine. As his costumed moniker may suggest: Alain Racine is both foreign and falcon-like -- wearing a winged flight suit, and fighting out of France.

He takes on the high-flying Angel, whose partners on Team Death are: Black Panther and the Russian hero Vanguard. The trio is far more composed than their rivals, but as we've already seen during Wolverine vs Black Panther, that won't help them secure victory in The Contest, or in individual skirmishes.

This fight isn't too far removed from Avengers #214, where Angel had been pulled into the orbit of The Avengers, and played peacemaker in a conflict with Ghost Rider. He won't have the luxury of talking his way out of this one, though.

The knock on Angel has often been that, despite his impressive mutant gifts, he isn't much of a fighter. In X-Men #6 he was bamboozled by boulders hurled by Magneto, then snatched from the sky and pitched like a baseball by Namor!

That's a key distinguishing factor for Le Peregrine, who combines aerial derring-do with mastery of the French martial art savate! That's the same kickboxing style used by Batroc, but Peregrine's style involves much more than leaping!

Retro-infused stories in Marvel: Heroes & Legends #1 and X-Men: First Class #2 showed how Angel can turn the tables on far more powerful foes by taking the fight to the air. In this fight, he faces an aerial equal, and won't have the luxury of being able to fall back on dropping his opponent from a great height.

In fact, I think the combination of flight and fighting ability gives Peregrine a convincing advantage. If Angel's going to secure a win, I think his best shot is to try to outmanoeuvre his opponent, and destroy his artificial means of flying.

The Tape: Angel Ranking: Angel (#73)

What Went Down...
With The Grandmaster's team hitting the ground running -- Angel deploys for aerial reconnaissance while his teammates debate tactics. Its not long before he crosses flight paths with his counterpart -- Le Peregrine!

The Frenchman proves familiar with his opponent's exploits and announces his intention to test him. Peregrine wastes no time flying directly for Angel, whose attempts to pull up are thwarted by a dive bombing double-booted kick!

The blow catches Angel by surprise, but he vows not to be caught so easily again! The winged mutant puts distance between he and his attacker, drifting backwards, but he's soon to be disappointed!

Peregrine swoops to deliver another devastating savate kick at the optimal arc of a loop de loop!

The blow is sufficient to send Angel hurtling towards the ground! He pulls himself out of the plunge at the last second, and starts formulating a plan to outmaneouvre his opponent -- and arm himself!

Peregrine looms like a bird of doom as Angel swoops a village street to collect a large walking stick from a local peasant. When Peregrine begins to draw nearer, he turns on the speed and flies as if he's fleeing!

Angel allows Le Peregrine's arrogance to grow as he gets closer to catching up.

Then at the perfect moment Angel pounces -- suddenly flying up and over his pursuing challenger to turn the tables! He locks the staff under Peregrine's jaw and pulls it tight against his windpipe!

The assisted chokehold causes Peregrine to gag on his words, but it doesn't stop him fighting! The nimble martial artist simply throws his legs back, managing to dig his heels in and lock them around the Angel's mid-section!

Suddenly it's Peregrine who's in control, squeezing the air out of Angel with the tightening of his powerful legs!

As he lifts his chest and arches his back in an effort to fill his lungs, Angel also inadvertently releases the choke. Knowing time is running out, the X-Man resorts to a desperation move -- using the staff to club Peregrine on the back of the head!

The blunt force is enough to knock Peregrine out cold and send the pair plummeting earthbound. Angel comes to land in a field, standing over his defeated foe with the knowledge it could've easily been another result.

The Hammer...
Quite a dynamic fight that's nicely differentiated from the aerial action of Sunfire versus Darkstar. I like how raw and basic the battle is. It's part aero dog fight, part street fight. Not necessarily what you'd expect from Angel -- and one hell of a way to introduce Le Peregrine!

There isn't actually a whole lot of it. It's only given one dedicated page, but the way the action is intercut with Wolverine versus Black Panther, and the other key battle, really helps keep the energy up. Some other matches throughout the series have overlap, but the flavor of this one is just a little bit different.

It's intriguing to me that Peregrine has a far more storied career after Contest of Champions than most of the international heroes created for the event. We've already talked about Blitzkrieg and Defensor: German and Argentine heroes killed in a 1995 Captain America story, with few appearances in between.

Le Peregrine doesn't seem particularly more marketable than either of those characters, yet he's managed a couple of dozen subsequent appearances! He was featured as recently as 2017's Secret Empire, as part of a rebel force opposing Hydra known as The Champions of Europe.

He's essentially been afforded the treatment I thought the other characters should've had as well. Not quite a feature player, but when the right story calls for it, he's out there flying around France ready to answer the call.

I wonder if some of Peregrine's staying power is attributable to the strength of his first appearance. He wasn't given a win over the more established X-Man, but he dominates his opponent in a way Blitzkrieg and Defensor did not.

I'm quite taken with the combination of flight and savate. There are several winged characters in comics, but a lot of them don't really use refined fighting techniques. Peregrine is a character who could conceivably shed his wings and keep on kicking. Combining flight with specific martial arts is pretty interesting, and savate's heavy emphasis on kicking without punching works perfectly!

I can't imagine Peregrine fronting a solo series, but I'm very intrigued by the prospect of how he could flesh out a team book, Marvel Comics Presents style anthology, or other relevant series as a more frequent recurring character.

Peregrine's still relatively unexplored, and low key enough that there's room to develop him in new ways. Yet there's also enough history and character to generate some pretty easy new plots that would be worth seeing.

You can't mention savate in Marvel Comics without conjuring Batroc The Leaper, and the fact they haven't established a strong rivalry already is almost hard to believe! A feud for mastery of the style seems obligatory and could be a lot of fun -- especially if it were to escalate into new incarnations of Batroc's Brigade. That would be particularly applicable if Peregrine were in a team scenario.

Peregrine worked briefly for Silver Sable, which creates some interesting ties, and further ingrains him into the mercenary world that Batroc occupies.

It could be very interesting to see the flying Frenchman meet other prominent mercs in the Marvel Univrse, like the recently resurrected Jason Macendale, Taskmaster, Sabretooth, Crossbones, Deadpool, Moon Knight, and so on.

As we saw in today's featured fight: it can also be satisfying just to see how he might interact with other winged allies and enemies. Revisiting Angel could be interesting, but I also like the idea of a run-in with Vulture, flying with Falcon, and perhaps developing a friendship with Wasp. We talked a little about how she might find her way to France while looking at Marvel Super-Heroes #3.

I rather like the emotionally connected portrayal of Peregrine in a James Robinson written issue of Scarlet Witch from 2016.

That was an out of leftfield story about love, loss, and suicidal depression. I think it would be interesting to keep that element of sensitivity, but marry it to the bravado seen in Contest, creating some version of a Luc Besson sensibility in the vein of Leon or Taken.

International intrigue seems like an easy way make the most of the character's European origins, while giving him some edge. That realm was exploited through a Black Widow team-up, and there are a lot of other characters in the Marvel Universe who could fit the bill. Good humored tension between the French and British has often been a source of amusement. I'm also personally intrigued by the unique cultural exchange between France and Japan.

I'm sure I could sit around fantasy booking ways to revisit Peregrine all day, but what I'd really like is for you to help decide an unofficial Contest of Champions sequel! Check out The Contest: Hawkman vs Peregrine for the full rundown of their match-up and ways you can comment & vote for the winner.

You can find more superhero smackdown from the original Contest of Champions, or its much later official sequel, by following links throughout this post. Or just jump into the Secret Archive for an index of every featured fight ordered by publisher, series, and issue number!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles with more on the way! Get additional updates inspired by the topics of the day by subscribing to Twitter and Facebook. If you like what it's all about you can also unlock extra schedule info, custom article requests, and polling by signing up to Patreon.

Winner: Angel
#46 (+27) Angel (Warren Worthington III)
#920 (new) Le Peregrine

THE CONTEST: HAWKMAN versus PEREGRINE

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: Hawkman 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Hawkman 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Hawkman 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Peregrine 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Hawkman 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Hawkman 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Hawkman 25 (Champion)

Conservative choices over the last couple of battles have cost me the lead. Now The Grandmaster is a win clear with only half The Contest to go! We've both been conserving points, but after the last round I've decided to throw caution to the wind to try to secure a much-needed victory.

Le Peregrine is the character to beat: Alain Racine is a freelancing hero who's worked with Silver Sable and The Avengers while defending France from peril. He wears a winged suit that allows him to fly at incredible speeds, and is also highly proficient in the art of savate. He combines this French style of kickboxing with aerial derring-do for a unique brand of offense.

Le Peregrine is another international hero who was introduced through the original Contest of Champions. He's presently unranked, which means he'll be the fourth fighter on The Grandmaster's team that costs 0pts! His unusual fighting style gave Angel a lot of trouble in the original Contest, but I'm spending big to buy a true master of the airways!

Currently ranked #34: Hawkman is a winged warrior whose brutal fighting style and use of weapons has seen him get the best of Superman in Superman/Batman #4, fight Doctor Fate to a draw in All-Star Squadron #4, clobber Solomon Grundy (with friends) in Hawkman #33, and literally disarm the Matter Master in Hawkman #23!

Hawkman lacks the finesse of Peregrine's martial arts, but his raw warrior spirit transcends a more precise approach. His Nth metal harness also greatly enhances his strength, durability, and ability to recover from punishment. His use of weapons such as heavy medieval nets and a fixed mace also equip him with plenty of methods for pinning Peregrine down.

Hawkman isn't invincible and has been beaten by a canny strategist & fighter like Deathstroke, but with a far more storied career, which includes memberships with both the Justice Society and Justice League, I think Hawkman's a shoo-in to beat the Frenchman.

The Verdict (Updated July 9th)...

I came into this one looking for a decisive win to keep the scores even heading into the second half of competition. Boy did I get one! Hawkman utterly annihilated Le Peregrine in one of the most one-sided results we've seen so far!

Chris A Field cut right to the heart of the matter: "I've actually heard of Hawkman, so he wins it easy." There's no denying the starpower of Hawkman drove voting up after a dismal turnout for the previous round and gave him a significant recognition advantage.

Jason Meunier agreed with the same outcome, but found a more nuanced comparison between the two characters. For him, it was a matter of experience with their respective arsenals: "Hawkman’s gear tends toward [medieval] weapons (mace, spear), while Peregrine goes more modern (darts, gas grenades. I say Hawkman’s experience and broader combat skills give him the edge."

It was difficult to find advocates for Le Peregrine, but Joseph Day came through to wave the flag for the French longshot: "We all know who's gonna win, so I'm voting for the underdog."

He also went on to make a compelling case on the basis of Le Peregrine's first appearance and mastery of unarmed martial arts: "Peregrine is a master of savate, the French version of kickboxing. He surprised the Angel using this skill, so I figure that Hawkman could be equally bested if they don't practice a similar sport on Thanagar." We looked at Peregrine vs Angel during the week!

Facebook polls continue to be non-functional, so it was up to Twitter to deliver a crushing 91.4% majority! Special thanks to longtime friend of the site Hawkworld for getting the word out, and everyone who took time to vote, comment, or share!

This means Round 6 goes to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

We'll be back for Round 7 later this month! Keep your eyes on The Contest for the latest battles and past results. Hit up Twitter, Facebook, and Patreon for regular updates and new voting polls. You can also let me know what you think about the result in the comments or on social media!

Winner: Hawkman

The Grandmaster: - 3

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: - 3

<< Contest: Cheetah vs Wolverine    [Home]    Contest: Guardian vs Defensor >>

SOLOMON GRUNDY versus STAR-SPANGLED KID & JAKEEM THUNDER

Kids (DC)
Where: JSA #29 When: December 2001
Why: Geoff Johns How: Peter Snejbjerg

The Story So Far...
As junior members of the Justice Society of America: Courtney Whitmore and Jakeem Williams were supposed to have a quiet Halloween night in at JSA Headquarters. Instead, trouble finds them when more than the local trick or treating kids come knocking...

Solomon Grundy has been poisoned by The Joker and is more crazed than ever before! Running amok through New York City, he arrives at the JSA's doorstep -- but the depleted senior ranks are already on mission to contain the army of Slab inmates unleashed by The Joker!

It's up to the new Star-Spangled Kid and Jakeem Thunder to face one of the JSA's oldest enemies alone. Joker venom has made him scarier than ever, but that isn't the only thing worrying Courtney: He also killed her predecessor!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Solomon Grundy 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Stargirl 2 (Average)
Speed: Thunderbolt 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Thunderbolt 6 (Generator)
Agility: Thunderbolt 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Solomon Grundy 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Thunderbolt 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Thunderbolt 37 (Cosmic)

Solomon Grundy is one of the quintessential recurring DC villains. He can show up just about anywhere, at any time, with his demeanor ranging from a murderously rampaging beast -- to a deviously sinister super-villain.

During Infinity Inc #51, Grundy was a love-smitten simpleton who was coerced into murdering Sylvester Pemberton, then known as Skyman.

Pemberton's equipment was subsequently retired to the custody of former sidekick Pat Dugan, whose step-daughter, Courtney Whitmore, inadvertently stumbled upon the gear and chose to become the new Star-Spangled Kid!

Trained and assisted by her step-father; the eventually renamed Stargirl wields both the Cosmic Converter Belt of the Star-Spangled Kid, and the Cosmic Staff invented by Starman, and previously used by Jack Knight. The former grants her enhanced strength, speed, stamina, and energy projectiles that disrupt electrical impulses and the human nervous system. The Cosmic Staff allows her to fly, create force fields, and command devastating energy blasts!

Jakeem Thunder inherited his super-powered legacy when Jay Garrick gifted him a pen that secretly contained the magical being Yz. Better known as The Thunderbolt, the 5th dimensional genie previously served Johnny Thunder when he said the magic word "Cei-U", but now resides within Jakeem Williams' pen!

This is our first time seeing Jakeem Thunder in action, but Stargirl has had two outings with the Justice Society of America. In JSA #64 she ventured into the Dream World to help recover Sanderson Hawkins.

More notably, she had a later encounter with Solomon Grundy in JSA #65, where the undead behemoth was able to snatch her by the ankle and show signs of remembering previous encounters with the Star-Spangled Kids. In that fight it was Sanderson Hawkins who came to the rescue to put Grundy down!

At his most vicious we've seen Solomon Grundy tear the jaw of Killer Croc in Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy. He was able to withstand the combined efforts of Hawkman, Hawkgirl & Monolith in Hawkman #33, as well as the powerful blows of Bizarro in Solomon Grundy #2. He even punched a hole through The Demon before succumbing to hellfire in Solomon Grundy #2!

Stargirl should be able to give Solomon Grundy a run for his money, but her relative inexperience, and the psychological history of her legacy, may pose barriers. The magical powers of Thunderbolt should make quick work of the behemoth as long as Jakeem can direct them. Let's see what happened...

The Tape: Justice Society Ranking: Solomon Grundy (#142)

What Went Down...
A thunderous earthquake is followed by the sudden crash landing of the Statue of Liberty's head outside the JSA brownstone! Museum curator Alex Montez wonders who would've painted it white with a red smile -- until an equally pale fist reaches down to clobber him on top of the head!

Laughing atop the decapitated monument stands Solomon Grundy!

The hulking villain hoists a stunned Jakeem Thunder by the scruff of his shirt and snatches his magic pen out of its pocket. Grinning he says he'll write a letter to ma, but the only delivery is Star-Spangled Kid's boot to his jaw!

The flying kick launches Solomon Grundy across the street and down the steps of a nearby subway entrance!

The blow also freed Jakeem Thunder from the clutches of the maniacal zombie. He refuses The Kid's offer of help as he gets to his feet, but softens when she reveals Solomon Grundy's role in killing the original Star-Spangled Kid.

The younger hero is ready to charge the subway to take Solomon Grundy down, but a dull rumbling tips SSK off to the oncoming threat of a counter-attack. She dives to tackle Jakeem to the ground -- narrowly avoiding an airborne train!

Star-Spangled Kid knows they should wait for help from the JSA, but her eagerness to take a shot at payback is equaled only by Jakeem's desire to reclaim the pen that contains his friend - The Thunderbolt.

Tentatively, the two junior heroes descend into the darkened subway.

The power is out, but on the platform the bantering teammates can see juvenile graffiti scrawled across the walls. The words 'HA HA HA JSA SUCKS! GRUNDY RULES!' seem to lead down the pitch black train tunnel, but the pair quickly discovers its a simple act of misdirection to lure them into a trap!

Solomon Grundy appears from the shadows behind Jakeem laughing and clutching his magic pen! Star immediately leaps to his rescue!

The Stargirl launches at Grundy with a charging shoulder, following it up with a devastating uppercut that knocks out one of Grundy's teeth, and a volley of shooting stars that embed in his chest and drive him into the concrete wall!

Grundy wraps his massive palm around the Star-Spangled Kid's neck, laughing about the tickle of her attacks. She knows his dead flesh isn't affected by her nerve-numbing stars and compels Jakeem to run.

Instead Jakeem jumps on Solomon Grundy's back and weaponizes one of the villain's own spray cans! Paint blasts Grundy's eye! In his desperation to wipe blinded eyes, Grundy releases the magic pen -- but he also swats Jakeem aside!

Blood dribbles from his mouth as he realizes his pen has slipped through a grate. While he tries to reclaim the magic artifact, Solomon Grundy contemplates killing his second Star-Spangled hero. He holds the Stargirl's head like a basketball and presses it into a wall, reveling in his past murder.

Grundy places a second hand over The Kid's head as she feebly threatens to kill him. The zombie laughs about making her like himself -- dead -- unaware of the lightning spark that arcs between Jakeem's outstretched finger and his magic pen! They're reunited and with a simple click The Thunderbolt is released!

Jakeem commands his faithful genie to burn Solomon Grundy from the inside out. A wish the crackling Thunderbolt is all too glad to grant!

The pink dynamo streaks into a stunned Grundy's mouth. Within moments light begins to blast from inside the ashen zombie's eyes and ears as he clutches helplessly at his throat and burns from the core!

Jakeem checks on Star while the Thunderbolt emerges from the still grinning, smoldering corpse of Solomon Grundy. It collapses into a pile of ash, "Back to the swamp with you, beast!"

The Hammer...
A good team effort gives Thunderbolt the chance to deliver a finishing blow with extreme prejudice! It wouldn't have happened without the diligent efforts of Star-Spangled Kid and his master Jakeem Thunder!

Solomon Grundy may've been burned to a crisp, but as we've seen time and again -- the deathless zombie will rise once more from Slaughter Swamp to spread his unending curse of terror! Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday!

JSA #29 is all around a fantastic issue. I would highly recommend seeking it out to anyone remotely interested. I would also strongly suggest reading it in print, if you can.

Peter Snejbjerg does an incredible job on art duties, but I would also heap massive amounts of praise upon colorist John Kalisz, who does an outstanding job building mood and atmosphere with palette and tone. Sometimes those colours just don't translate to digital.

This is also the Geoff Johns who made reading DC Comics in the 2000s such a pleasurable experience. It's a script that scratches a lot of different itches from different angles, intuitively drawing together disparate references to create a wonderful whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

On a basic level the issue functions as an enjoyable rite of passage story in the tradition of Uncanny X-Men #143. Courtney and Jakeem are stuck home alone and forced to face a terrifying, overwhelming threat. In doing so, they mature as heroes, learn more about each other, and strengthen their bond.

The issue is satisfying on that level, but as with many Johns projects of the time, digging a little deeper will enhance everything with grander context and meaning. Inherent in this series is the simple fact that everything, including both junior JSA members, has direct legacy ties to heroes of the early 1940s.

Stargirl (as she was later renamed) and Jakeem Thunder are strong examples of developing intuitive new legacy characters. They draw from the original Star-Spangled Kid and Johnny Thunder, respectively, but growing into their roles, rather than simply supplanting them, is a big part of the story.

The reader is given ample opportunity to meet these new heroes as they're introduced in different series. Through a natural development process, each also becomes more distinctively realized through lived experience -- like this fight with Solomon Grundy -- and their natural involvement with other characters, such as the enduring JSA members who have become mentor figures.

It's debatable whether attempts to revamp the original Star-Spangled Kid for a modern 1980s audience were successful. "Skyman" had some nostalgic charm, but mythologizing his death in a 1988 issue of Infinity Inc, rather than undoing it, was arguably the strongest way to galvanize his legacy, and build something new from it. As part of Stargirl's backstory, it immediately creates a natural link with Solomon Grundy, enhancing both characters, and the fabric of the DCU.

We haven't even addressed the fact that this is also a banner event tie-in for Joker: Last Laugh! The contextual links go backwards and forwards, people!

To some degree Last Laugh is an unnecessary imposition, but the story uses the high concept of Joker infecting villains to simply add colour to the issue. It gives Solomon Grundy an excuse to be a little bit creepier and weird than usual. His full page entrance, laughing on top of the Statue of Liberty's decapitated head, is almost worth the tie-in all on its own!

The event and its flair also place the issue in time, which can be nice. It breaks up the monotony, and infuses the sudden appearance of the antagonist with a bit more meaning. The imposition of the event really helps sell the story, which comes at a time when much of the Justice Society has been take captive by Roulette, and forced to compete in an underground fight club.

Again I would stress that all of this extra information merely serves to enhance the issue. You should be able to quite happily read JSA #29 without being particularly concerned with any of it. You'll pick up the sense that there's more to the story than what's happening presently, but it isn't overly important, or distracting. This is a wonderful Halloween issue unto itself.

If you'd like to get a good look at the entire issue yourself, but aren't able to find the single issue, you can find it collected in JSA Vol. 3: The Power of Legacy or JSA Omnibus Vol. 2.

Use the Amazon links provided for any of your shopping and the online retailer will support the legacy of the site at no extra cost to you! You can also take a more direct route with Patreon, where patrons can get involved with additional updates, special article requests, and voting polls.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles with more on the way! You can discover more by following links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured smackdown in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Get extra updates and daily links to featured fights inspired by the topics of the day by following on Twitter and Facebook. Make sure to hit like & share!

Winners: Thunderbolt, Jakeem Thunder & Stargirl
#97 (+101) Thunderbolt [+1 kill]
#95 (+47) Stargirl
#339 (new) Jakeem Thunder
#146 (-4) Solomon Grundy

JIGSAW versus DAREDEVIL & BLACK WIDOW

The Widow Part Two of Four (Marvel)
Where: Daredevil #62 When: September 2004
Why: Brian Michael Bendis How: Alex Maleev

The Story So Far...
It's been one year since Daredevil attempted to finish his endless war with Wilson Fisk by dumping the crime boss's defeated body in the street. He has declared himself the new Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen, but his reign has not gone smoothly.

Tabloid press have outed Matt Murdock as Daredevil, and despite his stringent denials, the blind lawyer is caught in a tangled web of public adoration, marital breakdown, and criminal liability. Enter: Black Widow.

Agent Natasha Romanova seeks refuge with her former lover when Nick Fury warns her of corrupt movements within SHIELD. The visit provides a welcome distraction for the man without fear, and the safety of public visibility for the Widow, but a night of playing superhero is about to compound their problems!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Daredevil 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Black Widow 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Daredevil 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Daredevil 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Black Widow 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Daredevil 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Jigsaw 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Daredevil 26 (Metahuman)

The details of Jigsaw's origin have changed over the years, but the general premise remains simple: Billy "The Beaut" Russo was a hitman for the mob until he crossed The Punisher and got thrown face-first through a plate glass window.

Russo's face was shredded, but surgeons stitched it back together, leaving a hideous jigsaw pattern of scars. In his early appearances he wore a supportive exo-suit that covered all but his disfigured face. He wore it in early outings against Punisher, Spider-Man, and Nightcrawler, but predominantly relies on toughness, gunmanship, and connections in the underworld.

Daredevil knows the criminal underworld better than most, making his home in crime-ridden Hell's Kitchen. Local street toughs rarely get the drop on him thanks to his radar perspective and greatly enhanced senses. Jigsaw probably shouldn't be too much of a problem.

We've seen DD go up against Jigsaw's arch-nemesis in Daredevil #257 and Daredevil (Vol.2) #65, deftly handling Punisher's blend of military hand-to-hand combat and gunmanship. He's also turned the tables on Turk in Marvel Comics Presents #19, and bested super-powered brawler Tombstone in Daredevil #91.

Throw in Black Widow and Jigsaw's chances are pretty much shot. Natasha Romanova is every bit the supreme martial artist and acrobat that Daredevil is, keeping company with the Avengers and their many super-powered adversaries.

The Widow is a long time partner for Daredevil, having bunked with the blind lawyer in the seventies. We saw her provide the assist in Daredevil #79, while her most compelling battle on record was another team-up, with Iron Man, against the powerful armored Titanium Man in Iron Man #316!

Black Widow's back in town to lie low with her former lover and it looks like her presence makes Jigsaw's defeat a foregone conclusion. Did it? Let's take a look.

The Tape: Daredevil & Black Widow Ranking: Daredevil (#11)

What Went Down...
Bullets spray across the North Shore Pier. A hideously disfigured man yells obscenities into the night. His name is Billy Russo, but ever since The Punisher introduced his face to a pane of glass he's answered to the name of Jigsaw.

Inspiring his gun violence are two figures moving in the shadows. Jigsaw pins them down with twin submachine . Their bullets spray with wanton regard for accuracy, held at head height in the general direction of the intended targets.

Taking shelter from the gunfire behind steel barrels: Daredevil and Black Widow exchange a flippant flirtation. They're biding their time. Daredevil's radar senses give him a clear lay of the land. Jigsaw's sloppy shooting affords time to spare.

Daredevil calls an one-two play from their past team-ups. Black Widow mocks his old moves, but agrees to play along. They strike!

The vigilante heroes launch into a beautifully acrobatic assault. They dance between Jigsaw's bullets, sending his guns flying through the air, still firing, as they collide with his throat and chest in synchronized kicks.

The Hammer...
We can only presume the double-kick is the finishing blow. The next page shows Daredevil and Black Widow retreating to a rooftop to cool down, and reminisce about past post-battle romances.

We can at least be relatively certain of their victory: Jigsaw returns later in the issue having posted $15,000 bail. A tidy sum for being picked up and held in custody after his defeat.

He believes it's the price to pay for stepping too close to Daredevil's turf when he shows up in the offices of Murdock & Nelson looking to get into the "Murdock business".

Daredevil successfully overthrew Wilson Fisk and declared himself Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen twelve issues ago. Jigsaw has mistaken the new order for another arrangement in organized crime. He thinks he just needs to pay a cut to respect the new boss of the town -- but he's sorely mistaken.

The press has also seemingly outed Matt Murdock as Daredevil at this time, but he maintains a façade of innocence by deflecting any acknowledgment that he's the red garbed vigilante - or new Kingpin - even to Jigsaw. The veil of plausible deniability will  be crucial to restoring the status quo, but also leads to a fun, unexpected trap when Jigsaw comes looking for a reprisal at Murdock's home in the final issue of the arc.

This is part two of a four issue story billed around Black Widow. At a glance it seems like a deviation, but it actually compliments the continuum of Daredevil's tumultuous existence, even as it affords some sense of relief from it.

The arc plays like a deliberate chance to revisit DD and Black Widow's iconic relationship for its own sake, while also pitting him against one of the great Marvel street criminals he hasn't dealt with all that much. It's definitely ticking those boxes for a storied run, but both external elements compliment the building pressure of Matt Murdock's failing marriage to Milla Donovan, and his rash decision to declare himself the very thing he hates.

Black Widow plays a quality guest role as a major protagonist in the arc. She's a character long associated with team-ups and memberships. She of course co-starred in Daredevil in the early seventies, making frequent return appearances in the years since. Remarkably, she didn't get her own titular series until 1999!

I'd presume gender bias in the market had a role to play, along with the decline of the Cold War, and perhaps less interest in spy stories after a boom in the 60s. It was probably a missed opportunity, but when I was growing up reading back issues it did give her a suitably mercurial quality. You never quite knew for sure where Black Widow might strike next!

Scarlet Johansson was originally scheduled to star in her first solo cinematic adventure last month, but the COVID-19 global pandemic pushed the release back to November while theatres remained shut.

I figured it was still a nice time to dig in to one of the Black Widow team-ups I've enjoyed over the years. Hopefully you've enjoyed it, too! You might also like to revisit Iron Man #316, and keep your eyes peeled to the Black Widow tag, or Secret Archive index for future updates.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles! If you like superhero smackdown and want to see the service prosper you can contribute to the cause via Patreon. Patrons gain inside access to the schedule, and can get involved with special feature articles and polls.

You can check out the entire issue and story from today's featured fight in Daredevil Vol. 4 or Daredevil by Bendis & Maleev Omnibus Vol. 2. Using the Amazon purchase links provided to do your shopped won't just get you a great deal -- it will also support the site at no extra cost!

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Winner: Daredevil & Black Widow
#9 (+2) Daredevil
#56 (+33) Black Widow
#918 (new) Jigsaw

BIZARRO & PARASITE versus MON-EL & GUARDIAN

Man Of Valor: Part Two (DC)
Where: Superman #695 When: February 2010
Why: James Robinson How: Bernard Chang

The Story So Far...
The creation of a new planet populated with Kryptonians leads the world's governments to outlaw all survivors of the distant planet save for Superman. To curb tensions, the Man of Steel chooses to relocate to New Krypton, leaving Earth in the hands of capable understudies.

Hailing from the planet Daxam: Mon-El is a man aspiring to write a new history for himself as a hero of Metropolis. Possessing similar powers to Superman under Earth's yellow sun, he dedicates himself to following the Man of Steel's heroic example as a man of Valor.

Having escaped the clutches of Gen. Sam Lane and Project 7734; Mon-El is at large in the city, where he'll be forced to battle the monster who helped him escape: Parasite! Too bad he's already been battling Bizarro and is now caught between both!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Bizarro 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Guardian 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Mon-El 5 (Super-Speed)
Stamina: Bizarro 6 (Generator)
Agility: Guardian 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Guardian 4 (Trained)
Energy: Mon-El 5 (Lasers)
Total: Mon-El 28 (Metahuman)

We've got a titanic tag team coming to fight in today's feature, and three big characters debuting on the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! We've gotta know what we're dealing with. Let's take a look at the players!

Bizarro needs no introduction! Or does that mean, he does need one..? He's the confused, backwards-meaning doppelganger of Superman who hails from a Bizarro World full of twisted inversions! Despite flipping conceits of the world on their head; Bizarro possesses much the same super-strength and invulnerability of Superman! He used that might to pummel Human Bomb to death in a bloody encounter back in Infinite Crisis #1.

Parasite is another classic arch-villain to Superman! This incarnation is Rudy Jones: a shady STAR Labs janitor who was accidentally exposed to a rare type of radiation. The material mutated his body so it metabolizes energy, allowing him to sate his constant hunger by draining the life and powers from his victims. Doing so can temporarily grant him their abilities, and also increase his own super-human strength and durability.

This terrible twosome clearly spells trouble for the fine folks of Metropolis, particularly as Superman is off-world visiting New Krypton! Fortunately, the Man of Steel's slack is picked up by some powerful friends!

The man known as Mon-El (or Valor) is in fact Lar Gand of the planet Daxam. Much like Kryptonians; Daxamite bodies process the radiation of Earth's yellow sun, manifesting incredible abilities in the process! Mon-El possesses roughly equivalent powers to Superman, including: phenomenally enhanced strength, speed, stamina, durability, heat vision, and flight.

Unfortunately, an innate weakness to lead will send a Daxamite into acute anaphylaxis. That means speeding bullets are best left dodged! The widespread use of lead in human life means Mon-El is constantly at risk, but treatments supplied by allies such as Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, or Superman protect him to varying degrees. To deal with unexpected power loss, he received hand-to-hand combat training from The Guardian!

James Harper was a cop that took up the costumed vigilante game when criminals skirted the law one too many times! A gifted natural athlete with impeccable genetics; Guardian came to keep company with the Justice Society of America and All-Star Squadron! He served during the Second World War and was so impressive: Project Cadmus created a youthful clone to serve as head of security in the modern day. The clone escaped, replacing the original Jim Harper after he was murdered while investigating Cadmus.

Bizarro & Parasite are big time threats individually -- making them a potent pairing for a potentially powerless duo! Even at full tilt: Mon-El would have his work cut out for him fighting both bad guys alone!

Speed, agility, and finesse are the obvious advantages Valor and Guardian can leverage to turn the tables on their super-powered opponents. A game of keep-away minimizes the impact of Parasite's power-stealing. Fast maneuvering is one way they might be able to turn Parasite against a clumsy Bizarro.

The Tape: Mon-El & Guardian Ranking: Bizarro (#149)

What Went Down...
With his Daxamite powers failing him: Mon-El draws upon hand-to-hand combat training from Guardian to prepare for the oncoming threat of Bizarro and Parasite! As the Superman-esque villain swoops toward his target -- Mon-El slides along the Metropolis street to turn Bizarro's momentum against him!

The deft maneuver sends Bizarro flipping out-of-control into Parasite! It also buys enough time for Guardian and the Science Police to arrive on the scene. They offer a cover of gunfire while Mon-El collects himself and his super-powers.

Restored - Mon-El leaps through the air to deliver a flying punch to Bizarro!

With Bizarro taken care of; Metropolis Science Police handle Parasite, ensnaring him in energy rings that render his powers painfully uncontrollable. He howls in agony and fear for his fate returning to General Sam Lane. He finds little sympathy from his present captors.

Meanwhile, Mon-El takes to the skies with Bizarro, hitting him with fists of steel and point-blank blasts of heat vision!

As the aerial duo rise above the Metropolis skyscrapers and even the clouds -- Bizarro slips loose and makes a break for Bizarro World! In his twisted speak, he threatens to return with a Bizarro counterpart of Mon-El!

As Bizarro streaks into outer space, Mon-El opts to return to Earth, leaving the villain to return to his distorted mirror world.

The Hammer...
Victory can come in many different forms. In this case: it's a judo flip that sets Parasite up to be detained by the Science Police, while Bizarro runs to outer space to escape from a Mon-El beating!

Three Science Police officers shared the win, using advanced tech to detain Parasite in energy rings. One is identified as Officer Blaylock, while the other is Officer Romundi, aka; Car-Vex -- a Kryptonian sleeper agent embedded in the SP by General Zod!

Mon-El and the Science Police may've got the glory, but that takes nothing away from their ally The Guardian. It was his teachings that gave Mon-El the ability and confidence to stand his ground when his powers were failing. Guardian also bought Mon-El valuable time he needed to recover, leading the charge against Bizarro with hi-tech pistols once he and the SP reached the scene.

I'm not talking Guardian up to influence the result -- but the DC hero is appearing as part of our unofficial sequel to Contest of Champions. You can check out The Contest: Guardian vs Defensor for more on what that match-up entails, and how the result will have panned out.

Today's featured fight will hopefully provide a little extra context for the slightly obscure hero. Guardian has undergone several revamps since his 1942 debut, struggling to maintain metropolitan relevance under the shadow of Superman.

As the other shield-wielding hero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, he runs the risk of being thought of as second-rate. I think there's a certain charm to this type of heroic go-getter, though. World Against Superman was a nice chance to give a character like this more time to breathe. Even if he's obviously playing second-banana to another second-fiddle in this particular story.

I actually originally wrote most of this entry a couple of years ago, when Mon-El was appearing on the CW's Supergirl series. For one reason or another I didn't finish, but was eager to return to the file, both to touch upon Guardian, and make note of the other major characters appearing in the short skirmish.

This is a triple-debut for Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: registering the first recorded battles for Guardian, Mon-El, and Parasite! 2020 continues to be a big year for adding more characters to the already robust Fight Club Rankings!

It's a little bit of a surprise these characters weren't touched upon sooner. Parasite in particular ranks among Superman's best known villains. The ones that aren't Lex Luthor or Brainiac, that is. His teaming up with Bizarro is fun, but hopefully we'll get a more substantial battle on the record.

I'm also interested to look more closely at the star of this story. Mon-El, for all intents and purposes, is another stand-in for Superman, and I'm interested to explore what makes him distinct in a DCU increasingly flush with stand-ins, if indeed anything actually does.

If you'd like to get a taste of Mon-El and Guardian for yourself, you can read this issue collected in Superman: Mon-El - Man of Valor. Use the Amazon link provided and you can get yourself a good deal while Amazon supports the site at no cost to you!

You can find more superhero smackdown by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights organized by publisher, series, and issue number. Or discover new and exciting outcomes by following links throughout each post!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has documented well over 600 comic book battles and counting! If you like reading about superhero smackdown, you can help make it all possible by subscribing to Patreon. Patrons receive illuminating schedule updates, special request options, and extra voting polls.

Subscribe to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook to receive daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day. Don't forget to like and share posts, and look for pinned Contest polls to vote and have your say!

Winners: Mon-El & The Science Police
#335 (new) Mon-El
#336 (new) Car-Vex
#337 (new) Science Police Officer Blaylock
#338 (new) Guardian (Jim Harper)
#341 (-149) Bizarro
#917 (new) Parasite (Rudy Jones)

DEFENSOR versus IRON MAN

Chapter 3: Second Contest: Ghost Town Showdown! (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #2 When: July 1982 Why: Mark Gruenwald, Bill Mantlo & Steven Grant How: John Romita Jr

The Story So Far...
Across the universe there exist immortal entities whose very being 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 must 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 mad man-god Michael Korvac; The Collector's demise is beyond even the vast cosmic reach of a fellow Elder. Thus, The Grandmaster's challenge is issued to the ultimate opponent - Death herself!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Defensor 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Iron Man 4 (Trained)
Energy: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)
Total: Iron Man 31 (Super)

Another round of Contest of Champions means a battle between opposing trios representing The Grandmaster and his great unknown adversary: Death. The ultimate goal of the Contest is for a team to retrieve a piece of a golden artifact, but we're here to focus on key conflicts that break out between two adversaries.

Defensor is competing for Team Grandmaster along with She-Hulk and Captain Britain. The little known hero hailing from Argentina is really Gabriel Sepulveda: a construction worker who discovered an underground passage that led him to a mysterious machine and powerful suit of armor.

Defensor's origin was explained in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #3. His mysterious armor shares style with 14th century Spanish conquistadors, but is made of vibranium -- the rare metal closely associated with Wakanda and another of his Contest teammates: Black Panther!

The vibranium allows Defensor to absorb incredible impacts without significant consequence, while internal mechanisms also enhance his physical strength. His primary weapon is a shield, but examples of his escapades are rare.

Iron Man is no stranger to vibranium - or fighting shield-wielding heroes. We saw him get the best of the greatest shield slinger, Captain America, when they clashed in Captain America Annual #9 and again, much later, in Civil War #3.

Iron Man also has a long history of clashing with various armored enemies and rivals. In Iron Man #310 he overcame upgraded War Machine armor, led the fight against Titanium Man in Iron Man #316, stood down Doctor Doom in Mighty Avengers #10, and even endured The Destroyer armor in Thor #1!

Iron Man will also participate in Contest of Champions II almost two decades later. He gained a victory over Psylocke, but due to the unusual circumstances of the sequel, was defeated in a lopsided clash with the entirety of X-Force!

Iron Man's firepower and technology is generally far superior to that of the mysterious antique armor worn by Defensor. It would also seem he has far greater experience than the relative unknown. A compelling case for the win.

The Tape: Iron Man Ranking: Iron Man (#3)

What Went Down...
A quiet walk through an abandoned saloon is suddenly interrupted when Defensor smashes shield-first through a window to confront Iron Man!

The Argentine hero is determined to claim the Contest's golden prize, which Iron Man rightly notes is actually for The Grandmaster. Reluctantly, he indulges the obligation to fight, firing a repulsor ray he expects will finish it quickly.

Instead - the blast is deflected by Defensor's vibranium shield and knocks the ill prepared Iron Man off his feet!

Defensor leaps into action to take full advantage of the armored Avenger landing flat on his back! Alas, he isn't quick enough. Iron Man anticipates the follow-up - rolling over to catch and viciously slam him into the barroom floor!

Meanwhile, battle between the other contestants rages on outside. A mistimed dive sees Captain Britain tumbling from the sky -- perfectly aligned to collide with an airborne Defensor as he's sent flying from the bar by Iron Man's fist!

Iron Man rockets out of the saloon to survey the battlefield. Outside, Captain Britain lies unconscious, while Defensor struggles to gain footing after smashing through an exterior support.

Defensor is too dazed to continue to fight, allowing Iron Man to seek out a third opponent from The Grandmaster's team!

The Hammer...
There's a popular myth that Iron Man was as low as a C-lister before the 2008 movie reinvented and elevated him for mainstream audiences. It is very much a myth, and I think his appearance in the 1982 Contest of Champions reminds us of this. Granted, he doesn't have the highest profile opponents, but he's also one of the few combatants to take on all three opposing heroes.

We saw Thing show up during the fight between Wolverine and Black Panther, but this is the first Contest battle that's recorded significant overlap between competitors. We'll talk more about Captain Britain's fate when his fight with Arabian Knight gets the proper spotlight.

You can see in the panel above; Defensor does a valiant job of trying to keep his feet, but his antique armor was ultimately outclassed by the power of Iron Man. That's not to say Defensor wouldn't have been a nice character to have in the Marvel universe, though.

Much like Blitzkrieg; Defensor was created for the globally minded Contest of Champions -- only to go almost completely unseen until Mark Gruenwald brought him back for a 1995 murder plot in Captain America.

It would seem the writer saw most of his Contest characters go relatively unacknowledged after the 1982 event, and figured them fair game. Which is a shame, because despite their relative obscurity, they undoubtedly contributed to neglected corners of the Marvel Universe.

Defensor doesn't have the slick modern appeal of most characters, but knowing there's an active hero whenever a story might swing by Argentina is a valuable thing. It's the kind of expansion that made the Marvel Universe come into being, and kept it ticking for so many decades of additions.

To the best of my knowledge: the origin of Defensor's armor was never clearly elaborated upon. His backstory was relegated to the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, rather than any particular issue. Admittedly, the nature of his ancient vibranium armor doesn't lend itself to a modern revamp, but I'm not sure it needs to. Old timey conquistador could just be his look. Why not?

One aspect that could certainly live-on beyond the character is his vibranium shield. I don't know if there's a Defensor legacy character already running around the Marvel universe -- I don't think so. Maybe there should be, though. Passing the shield (and armor) to a new Argentine would certainly be better than cheapening Defensor's demise, or the act of dying, itself.

The metal itself generates a lot of interesting story possibilities. Between Black Panther and Captain America, there's been plenty of modern appetite for vibranium shields. Klaw and other villains usually have plenty of reason to track down this kinda stuff. I'm sure there'd be heroes interested in its resurfacing, too. A fine way to once again populate this part of the world with a local hero.

I recently brought the original back for one more run in our unofficial sequel to Contest of Champions. You can check out The Contest: Guardian vs Defensor to help decide who would win in a clash of cross-company shield wielders. Voting has been slow for these curious characters, so I'd really appreciate your input!

If you'd like to find more battles from the original Contest (or its official sequel) you can follow links throughout this post, or dive in to the Secret Archive for a complete listing of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has documented well over 600 comic book battles and counting! If you like reading about superhero smackdown, you can help make it all possible by subscribing to Patreon. Patrons receive illuminating schedule updates, special request options, and extra voting polls.

Subscribe to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook to receive daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day. Don't forget to like and share posts, and look for pinned Contest polls to vote and have your say!

Winner: Iron Man
#3 (--) Iron Man
#912 (new) Defensor