THE WEREWOLF versus HULK

Phasing Out (Marvel)
Where: Incredible Hulk #362 When: December 1989
Why: Peter David How: Jeff Purves

The Story So Far...
When Bruce Banner was accidentally caught in the blast of an experimental gamma bomb -- his body was irradiated in strange ways that caused him to transform into a mindless brute known only as The Hulk!

Eager to find a cure for his affliction and volatile alter-ego, Banner secures employment with a nuclear research facility in Yucca Flats, Nevada. Little does he realise, his newest excursion will bring him directly into the path of another man cursed to transform into a wild and uncontrollable beast -- Jack Russell: Werewolf by Night!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Hulk 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Werewolf 2 (Average)
Speed: Werewolf 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Hulk 6 (Generator)
Agility: Werewolf 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Hulk 26 (Metahuman)

It's the fight that had to happen! Jack Russell and Bruce Banner are good men cursed to transform into uncontrollable rampaging beasts! They've both prowled the night as figures of terror -- but which Marvel monster will reign supreme?

The Werewolf is cursed with lycanthropy, which he inherited mystically from his father, and a doomed family heritage that started in the 18th century.

It actually began five generations ago when Grigory Russoff was bitten by a werewolf whilst hunting Dracula. His descendent Gregory Russoff renewed their curse decades later by reading a page from the Darkhold, passing it on to his estranged American son, Jack Russell, who became a werewolf upon maturity.

Like most: Jack transformed into a "Werewolf by Night" endowed with incredible strength, speed, agility, ferocity, and animal bloodlust. He rarely killed, but found himself in violent episodes, such as a run-in with Morbius in Marvel Premiere #28!

There have been various times when Jack has gained a certain amount of control over his transformations, using his powers to do good. We saw him teaming with Morbius against the forces of darkness in Marvel Zombies 4 #2!

His wolf claws easily ripped through the zombie flesh of Digger, but even under the fullest moon he'd have a tough time carving up the Hulk!

Hulk lives in a whole other weight class, clashing routinely with powerhouses like Hercules [Tales to Astonish #79], Thing [Fantastic Four #374], Red Hulk [Hulk #6], Sentry [World War Hulk #5], Thor [Avengers #5], Juggernaut [Marvel Adventures #14], and DC's Superman [Marvel versus DC #3].

Even cosmic entities like Silver Surfer [Incredible Hulk #95], Thanos [Infinity Gauntlet #4], Green Lantern [Unlimited Access #1], and Champion of the Universe [Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7] have stood in awe of Hulk's raw strength and savagery!

The only thing more varied than the many impressive opponents Hulk has faced is the Hulk himself! When Bruce Banner was first doused with gamma radiation he transformed, much like The Werewolf, into a grey goliath at nightfall.

When the full moon over Nevada brings The Werewolf into Hulk's path it'll be a grey Hulk he finds. However, this is the Joe Fixit persona, whose devious cunning comes with slightly less strength than his most famous green transformations.

Deadpool #4 showed us a green Hulk can bleed under the right circumstances, but even a mortal Hulk is strong! Incredible Hulk #335 demonstrated grey Hulk at his most sadistic too, ramming his fist through The Stalker. Lets find out what he does when a stray werewolf comes biting at his heels!

The Tape: Hulk Ranking: Hulk (#6)

What Went Down...

The Werewolf clutches a desert jackrabbit in its hand when sound drifts through the night air, tempting him on towards a bigger kill.

He forgets the small prey, letting the rabbit run from his grip while pressing onward. Over a small rise in the dirt The Werewolf discovers the kneeling form of a grey Hulk in congress with its own alter-ego.

The calm of dawn has Hulk teetering on the verge of transforming back into a meek and mortal scientist. Neither he nor Banner notices the coming threat.

The Werewolf pounces upon its prey unannounced -- landing on Hulk's back!

Sharp teeth gnaw at the grey goliath's neck while The Werewolf's claws dig at his face and shoulder.

The stunned Hulk is caught completely by surprise, but it's the concerned voice of Bruce Banner that desperately asks what's happening as he awaits to emerge!

The Werewolf rips at Hulk's flesh and one of the creatures lets out a howl. Was it  the frenzied Werewolf, or the Hulk experiencing pain? It's uncertain.

More clear is the increasing threat of Hulk changing.

Bruce Banner desperately asks him to do something, inspiring the surly Joe Fixit persona to assert control long enough to tell his alter-ego to shut up -- and slam the Werewolf into the rocky landscape surrounding them!

Hulk struggles to fight off his transformation knowing Banner will be torn apart if left to fend for himself. The Werewolf shows no pity for his predicament, seizing the opportunity to jump on distracted prey!

The charging tackle lifts Hulk off his feet and drops him back-first onto the hard desert floor. The Werewolf adds insult to injury, violently driving the back of Hulk's skull into the dirt with a palm strike to the chin!

Hulk orders the animal to get off, but doesn't seem to have the strength to make it happen. The Werewolf pins him down and hovers with fangs bared!

Even with things looking grim, Fixit Hulk pours on the attitude -- warning his attacker he doesn't know who he's dealing with. As unlikely as it seems, The Werewolf suddenly arches its back and sits upright!

For a second, Hulk actually believes his reputation alone has sent the werewolf scurrying for cover. He doesn't seem to notice the engulfing glow of the morning sun as it rises over the horizon and triggers a transformation.

The Werewolf ducks around rocky outcrop, slowly reverting to the human form of Jack Russell -- while Hulk simultaneously drops to his knees and shrinks to the shape of Dr. Bruce Banner!

Each man has only the vague notion of the monster his alter-ego has just finished wrestling. Vulnerable and under dressed they scurry in separate directions -- eager to escape the other's threatening potential.

The Hammer...
I've been on a real Universal Monsters kick over the last couple of years, and as a tangent of that, I've been wanting to get to this battle for quite some time.

Incredible Hulk #362 would've been on shelves right around the time I was diving enthusiastically into the worlds of Marvel Comics and classic monsters. Its got some of the same marquee appeal as Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man, but the ties with Universal Monsters actually run much deeper than mere comparison.

Werewolf by Night obviously owed its creation to the loosening of Comics Code Authority standards in the 1970s, but also the influence of a new wave of werewolf and monster horror in movies, and pop culture.

Dozens of knockoffs were committed to celluloid throughout the seventies, but the legacy of Lon Chaney Jr and Universal's 1941 classic, The Wolf Man, always looms largest over the genre. It wasn't the first telling of the werewolf myth even by that film studio, but it created the basic template everyone recognizes to this day.

Hulk draws obvious comparisons to Frankenstein's Monster with his towering figure, monosyllabic speech, and volatile strength -- but the pathos of Bruce Banner's split personality, and its original nocturnal triggering, are right out of The Wolf Man. Banner didn't bring it upon himself like Dr. Jekyll. He was afflicted with his curse just like Larry Talbot!

Marvel inevitably had to bring their tragic transforming monsters together eventually, and Peter David & Jeff Purves do a good job of living up to the fantasy match-up.

Purves draws both characters in a fun, expressive way, but keeps it grounded enough to sell the struggle between the two monsters. Glynis Oliver deserves note for colours that balance the blues and greys of night perfectly, with bursts of orange moonlight and red-brown fur. It feels like Halloween to me.

The inconsistent nature of Hulk's transformations around this time also works wonders for evening the playing field.

As we covered in the Tale of  the Tape [above]; Hulk should usually take care of The Werewolf pretty handily, but because he's on the verge of reverting back to Banner, there's a tension and plausibility in their first encounter that wouldn't otherwise be there without it.

The Werewolf seems to have the better of Hulk before they both undergo simultaneous transformations at sunrise. Hulk isn't bound by the day/night cycle of his original incarnation, but the synchronized change is a fun conceit.

As you might've guessed from the ultimately inconclusive result this is just Round 1. They'll meet again before the end of the issue to settle the score once and for all. You can rest assured we'll find our way back for that some time in the future.

If you want to find the future rematch, or find any of the other fights previously featured on the site, you can discover more than 650 battles indexed by publisher, series, and issue number in the Secret Archive!

You can read the entirety of this issue and more by checking out the collected edition in Hulk Visionaries Vol. 4. By using the Amazon link provided you'll not only find a good deal, but also help support the site at no cost to you.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has always been free, but if you like what it's all about and want to support the cause, you can join the fight with Patreon. As a thank you for making it possible to keep fighting on you'll unlock extra updates, fantasy fight polls, and options to choose custom articles.

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Winner: Draw
#6 (--) Hulk
#149 (+7) The Werewolf (Jack Russell)

SOLOMON GRUNDY versus MOLLY MAYNE & THE GREEN LANTERN

Took Ill on a Thursday (DC)
Where: Solomon Grundy #4 When: August 2009
Why: Scott Kolins How: Scott Kolins

The Story So Far...
In the 19th century, Gotham City was home to a wicked soul named Cyrus Gold. Responsible for murder and misery, he was cursed upon death to forever rise from his unmarked resting place in Slaughter Swamp as the beast Solomon Grundy!

Caught in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, the shambling monster is forever drawn to new acts of evil as an unstoppable undead creature - until now..?

A mysterious force has given Cyrus Gold seven days to end his curse, but dark forces conspire to prolong the agony of Solomon Grundy! He was bedeviled by The Demon, delayed by Bizarro, and vexed by Poison Ivy. Now a taunting voice draws him into the suburbs to find the source of his greatest enemy's power!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Solomon Grundy 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Green Lantern 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Green Lantern 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Green Lantern 27 (Metahuman)

Solomon Grundy's on the warpath, but we already know all about that: We've tracked his cursed movements through Killer Croc, The Demon, Bizarro, and Poison Ivy. You're probably a lot more curious to know who Molly Mayne is!

In today's battle she's the suburban second wife of the Green Lantern, but in a former existence she was better known as the original Harlequin!

Her costumed alter-ego was an attempt to get closer to Green Lantern by becoming his criminal target. Romantic aspirations meant Harlequin's crimes were never too severe, and she eventually joined the side of angels, before marrying her super-hero sweetheart in the pages of Infinity Inc.

Harlequin's hypnotic glasses probably could've been an effective tool against Solomon Grundy, but the mature-aged retiree hasn't used her gear in quite some time. Good thing GL's Starheart battery has tipped him off to the trouble at home!

We saw the Golden Age Green Lantern school his younger counterpart, Guy Gardner, in the pages of Justice Society of America #9, and he even briefly slowed Superboy-Prime in the Sinestro Corps War epic of Green Lantern #25!

Unfortunately, this Green Lantern's power ring has a weakness to objects made of wood -- which allows the swamp-borne Solomon Grundy to cause all kinds of trouble. He used a tree to smash right through GL's construct in JSA #65!

Although incredibly strong, Solomon Grundy is often a lumbering and slow-witted opponent who can be out-smarted, or even out fought. The latter was the case for Stargirl & Jakeem Thunder in JSA #29, and the otherwise challenged trio of Hawkman, Hawkgirl & Monolith in Hawkman #33.

Grundy is coming off a win against Poison Ivy in today's story, but Green Lantern and the former Harlequin should be industrious enough to come up with ways of defeating. It all just depends on GL getting there in time!

The Tape: Green Lantern Ranking: Green Lantern (#90)

What Went Down...

The entrance to the Scott residence is reduced to splinters as Solomon Grundy explodes through the front door -- smashing his way inside!

Molly Mayne recoils with understandable panic, but she's no ordinary suburban housewife. Even as a fearful tear trickles down her cheek, the former Harlequin steels herself with unique life experience, and rushes deeper into the house.

Slamming a door behind her buys precious seconds as Molly scrambles to rummage through a very specific drawer.

Grundy's massive fist comes crashing through the door right behind her, but she's already found what she was desperately looking for! She discharges the hidden weapon -- punching a hole clean through Grundy's rotting chest!

For a moment the beast looks down at the smoking cavity in his torso -- then swats Molly aside through nearby architecture with the back side of his hand.

Grundy's true target is quickly uncovered by hulking hands that tear through cupboard woodwork like it was paper.

Inside: the glowing green lantern that is the source of his oldest enemy's power!

As the monster reaches for the lantern shaped battery it begins to radiate with burning green energy. The light speaks to him through a familiar oath: "Beware my power!"

Solomon Grundy fights against the energy, grasping for the awesome artifact as if incensed by its powerful resistance. He shouts defiantly that he isn't afraid -- raising the lantern above his head as it spews blinding light all around him!

The monster brings the lantern violently crashing against the ground.

The impact is so strong it causes parts of the house to collapse over a stunned Molly Mayne!

Grundy barely even notices the collateral damage of his outburst. His determined focus remains solely on the lantern itself, now held in the palm of his right hand as he lets out an angry yell.

The furious behemoth brings both his hands smashing together around the lantern and presses with all his unearthly might! He vows to crush it!

Reaching out across the county to Slaughter Swam: the Starheart battery speaks to Alan Scott through his power ring. Alerted to the attack, Scott's mind immediately flashes to the imminent danger threatening his wife.

With the ring hoisted above his head, Green Lantern blazes a trail through the night sky! He flies as fast as he ever has, willing his wife to hold on. Willing himself to make it there before it's too late!

Molly stirs and speaks her husband's name, all the while Grundy continues to squeeze harder and harder around the Green Lantern's power battery. It begins to illicit a small, harsh clicking. Then in a terrible instant -- the lantern shatters!

The awesome explosion of power reduces the Scott residence to rubble -- but high above the smoldering crater is The Green Lantern himself! He cradles his wife, bruised & battered, but safe in the aura of his glowing energy!

The hero slings a green containment field over an unconscious Solomon Grundy and makes a beeline for the nearest hospital. The awful truth doesn't begin to set in until the hero starts to feel dizzy with Gotham Metropolitan Hospital in sight...

The Hammer...
Green Lantern has to make a crash landing outside the hospital as his power ring begins to fizzle and fade. The Starheart literally bids him a fond farewell, lamenting the time it enjoyed sharing with him.

Things look about as bad as they can for ol' Alan Scott, but don't worry too much. This isn't the end of the Golden Age Green Lantern.

Next issue he'll need to get a ride from Gotham Metropolitan back to his house in the suburbs, but once he's made that trip, GL will magically reassemble the shattered lantern to restore his powers and status quo.

I've got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand: it's very refreshing, particularly these days, to see a fundamental threat to a hero's existence resolved after only one issue. It's basically a good old fashioned superhero cliffhanger.

On the other hand: this is a cliffhanger based on the lie of a false peril.

You could argue that most perils to a franchise superhero are "false" because they will assuredly prevail in the end. However, what separates the good from the bad is the preservation of that threat, and the agency of the hero to resolve it.

Rather than prevent or see through this crisis with an act of heroic ingenuity -- GL literally resolves it with a simple wave of his hands.

It quickly becomes apparent, next issue, that the threat was never real. The sentimental goodbye from his ring was an illogical, maudlin act of manipulating the reader. An unsatisfying cheat in what feels like a sagging middle issue.

I don't want to judge this issue too harshly. The high-concept thrill of the Solomon Grundy series is a gauntlet of battles through some of DC's other eerie and monstrous characters. It doesn't really need to be much more complicated than that, but even by those basic terms, Solomon Grundy #4 struggles to satisfy.

Alan Scott's power battery just cannot live up to the role of being this issue's title bout. It isn't an entirely inanimate object, but dialogue and colour-tinting can't distract from the fact it's Solomon Grundy wrestling with a novelty lamp. Remember this one?

It might've been fun to see Molly Mayne break out her old Harlequin gear as a lantern-assisted feature opponent. A chase similar to Uncanny X-Men #143, with Grundy taking the role of the N'Garai Demon, could've been fun. Otherwise, the obvious solution is to just bring Green Lantern into the fray right at the start for an obligatory throwdown between classic adversaries.

Fortunately, this issue sets up another exciting opponent for the following issue. A shadowy cameo by Professor Ivo spells the imminent arrival of Amazo, who'll be deployed to take revenge for a failed team-up in a recent Justice League story.

Issue #4 also revisits the torment of Cyrus Gold, whose murder in 1885 set in motion his unending curse to rise from Slaughter Swamp as Solomon Grundy.

Cyrus soon finds himself back in the swamp, where he unexpectedly pulls the knife that killed him from the very same swamp Green Lantern had earlier been sent to search. This in turn triggers memories of the many lives he had claimed.

Mournfully regretting his life of sin, Cyrus is visited by a vision of the Phantom Stranger who guides him to find and forgive his killer if he wants to successfully end the curse. Some will remember we discuss The Stranger's presence way back at the start of the series.

If you want to read it all for yourself you might be lucky enough to find a collected edition via the Amazon link provided. Doing any shopping via these links helps support the site at no extra cost to you! If you don't see it, you may need to add permissions to blocking software.

We're slowly but surely working our way through the macabre saga. If you'd like to revisit previous chapters you should start with Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy, then work your way through the links listed after Solomon Grundy in the Secret Archive. That's where you'll find every featured fight indexed alphabetically in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 650 battles and ranked more than 950 characters! If you appreciate what it's all about and want to see these chronicles continue into the future you can join the fight on Patreon. As a thank you you'll unlock additional updates, polls, and custom articles.

You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook to receive daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day. Don't forget to like and share!

It was tough to render a decision in today's battle, but I'm coming down on the side of a draw. Grundy may've swatted Molly Mayne aside and shattered the lantern, but its temporary destruction also knocked him out cold and left him bloodied. A moot result, with Green Lantern showing up in time to assist his wife.

Winner: Draw
#145 (--) Solomon Grundy
#459 (new) Harlequin (Molly Mayne)
#90 (--) Green Lantern (Alan Scott) [+1 assist]