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
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
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