CAPTAIN AMERICA versus THE CAPTAIN

Seeing Red (Marvel)
Where: Captain America #350 When: February 1989
Why: Mark Gruenwald How: Kieron Dwyer

The Story So Far...
When the government asserts that Captain America and his shield are intellectual property, and that Steve Rogers was never officially discharged from the military, he's presented with an ultimatum to return to service.

Rogers instead chooses to resign, taking up the fight as a free agent known simply as "The Captain". This leaves the Commission of Superhuman Activities to appoint a new Captain America: former adversary John "Super-Patriot" Walker.

Walker proves to be a volatile replacement, stained with the blood of his enemies in an orchestrated plot to discredit Captain America's legacy. When The Captain is reluctantly called in to rescue his replacement, The Red Skull pulls the strings to set up the ultimate clash between his old adversary, and the jealous stand-in!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: USAgent 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Captain America 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Captain America 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Captain America 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 2 (Projectile)
Total: Captain America 28 (Metahuman)

At this point in history John Walker wears the red, white, and blue of Captain America. He was previously known as The Super-Patriot, and will eventually be best recognized as USAgent.

After a brief stint in the US Army; Walker underwent the augmentation process of The Power Broker, gaining greatly enhanced super-human strength, durability, speed, and reflexes. He used his powers to join the Universal Class Wrestling Federation, but soon left the ring to begin a feud with Captain America.

The Super-Patriot believed he embodied America's ideals better than Steve Rogers, and when the US government's Commission on Superhuman Activities pushed Rogers to resign his post: John Walker was chosen to take up the shield as a new Captain America working directly for the Commission.

During this time Steve Rogers continued to operate as a freelance super-hero under the alias The Captain. Wearing a red, white, and black costume he continued to fight the good fight against villains like the alien-powered Cold War in Marvel Comics Presents #2.

By contrast John Walker had a tumultuous and violent tenure as Captain America. He battled UCWF allies turned enemies, Left and Right-Winger, and resorted to lethal force against The Watchdogs after his parents were murdered. He even lost his shield when he was badly beaten by The Flag-Smasher, requiring rescue by Rogers, Demolition Man, and his partner Battlestar.

John Walker has far superior strength to Steve Rogers, even once competing with Wonder Man in a weight-lifting contest, but a simple lack of heart and discipline means he always comes off second best.

This is the first time we've recorded a one-on-one battle between the two Captains, but they were on opposite sides when The Invaders and Avengers came to blows in New Invaders #0. Walker was again claiming to be Captain America while using a new spiked shield, but suffered a beat down at the hands of his former West Coast Avengers and Force Works teammate, Iron Man.

The Tape: Steve Rogers Ranking: Steve Rogers (#7)

What Went Down...

The new Captain America is still breathing heavily from battle when Steve Rogers enters the room to discover him surrounded by dead bodies.

Until moments ago the deceased were heavily armed agents of the Red Skull, but thanks to the villain's new face -- John Walker is operating under the belief they were working for Steve Rogers himself. He launches himself at The Captain!

Instantly recognizing the voice of John "Super-Patriot" Walker - Rogers knows he's no match for the replacement Captain America's enhanced strength!

Fortunately, he's still in possession of his relinquished shield, having recovered it after it was stolen by Flag Smasher. He uses the shield to bat the attacking Captain America out of the air -- but it buys only a precious few seconds before Walker is back again like a charging bull!

Rogers backflips out of his replacement's path and tries to tell him about the Red Skull's deception. The "battle frenzied" Captain America won't listen, throwing a super-human punch that's blocked by The Captain's shield!

Rogers drops low to take Walker's legs out with a kick to the back of the knee.

He knows he won't win with reason, and after the things he's heard John Walker has done in Captain America's name -- he doesn't mind taking this fight head-on.

Walker lunges forward with another powerful punch, but The Captain somersaults  clear. The blow smashes into the floor behind, and Walker uses his strength to rip a chunk out of the surface and hurl it at The Captain!

Rogers back flips over the improvised projectile, but this time his landing leaves him wide open to a charging attack from Walker! He hears the brute coming from behind, but still doesn't have time to regain footing. He can only throw his shield up and hope to cushion the impact as he's tackled into a wall!

The pair smashes through the wall like a freight train!

The Captain manages to use their tumbling to his advantage, escaping Walker's powerful grip and maneuvering himself to land on top of his doppelganger. Rogers takes the opportunity to drive his elbow back and hard into the new Captain America's face!

The blow appears to stun John Walker for a moment, but its nothing compared to the shock Steve Rogers experiences with the sudden illumination of monitors around the room.

They show images of the new Captain America's bloody exploits. Opponents beaten, maimed, and killed -- just like the dead men a room away. A legacy in ruin. Captain America was never meant to be a killer.

Rogers barely has time to process it all when his replacement suddenly spring to life, pushing off the ground with a two-legged kick The Captain manages to block with his mighty shield.

John Walker reminds his opponent that it's his shield and dares him to fight without hiding behind it. Remembering his failure to beat Walker in the past, Steve Rogers ignores his better judgement and tosses the shield aside!

The Captain throws a body blow deep into John Walker's stomach.

It is a blow driven with renewed fighting spirit. In that instant he reflects upon surrendering his uniform and shield, swallowing his pain and anger, and fighting to forge a new identity as The Captain.

With a left hook he topples his replacement. Here he will test if going back to basics has restored his edge. Here he will see if it was all worth while.

The new Captain America rises with blood trickling from his mouth and a crazed grin. He's far from finished.

Walker launches himself like a Super-Patriot missile -- leaping through the air outstretched to drive both his fists into The Captain's face!

An acrobatic twist brings Walker into a landing, but Rogers throws his leg out to meet his successor with a kick to the chest!

Walker responds with another vicious downward punch that The Captain narrowly rolls clear of. The new Captain America follows, stalking his opponent with a wild swinging back-fist. Rogers steps clear and bounces back with a stiff right hand!

Again John Walker furious charges at his opponent, but again Steve Rogers keeps one step ahead -- back flipping clear.

He lands gracefully, but with his back up against a large machine he can only duck to avoid John Walker's relentless rage-fueled punch. The enhanced strength of the new Captain America plunges through the steel outer casing into live electronics!

Untold volts channel through John Walker's body and he lets out a sickening shriek as The Captain dives clear.

Incredibly, Walker shakes off the blow in mere seconds, escaping the electrical charge with a fist full of wires and a mind full of bad intentions!

He rushes Steve Rogers and uses the electrical cable as an improvised garrote!

The wires tighten around The Captain's throat as John Walker issues a battle crazed vow: "You're dead, Rogers! You've tormented me for the last time!"

With dire stakes Steve Rogers summons his every ounce of strength and channels it into a do or die blow. His fists fly wildly above his head in a single desperate bid for victory -- and survival!

The Captain's aim is true and both fists collide with the sides of John Walker's head! The double-barreled blow delivers inescapable impact with enough strength and precision to at last knock the new Captain America out cold!

The Hammer...

After a little over eighteen months of John Walker as the new Captain America -- he finally meets defeat at the hands of the original!

A brief skirmish with the Red Skull follows, exposing his role in setting the pair against one another, before both Captains appear before the Commission of Superhuman Activities.

Without the influence of the Skull's corrupting agent, Douglas Rockwell, it's the Commission's ruling that the name, shield, and uniform may be property of the United States Government -- but it's always been Steve Rogers who imbued it with meaning. Remarkable, then, that he doesn't immediately accept its return.

Rogers asserts that his experiences as The Captain proved he can still effectively serve his ideals, and those of the country, without the shield and uniform of Captain America. It's only when John Walker himself chases Rogers down in the hall outside that he accepts the mantle's return. A little extra dramatic flourish for the readers who'd been waiting a year and a half for it!

Walker clearly intends to continue serving his country, but even he can see there's no point finding another "poor slob" to be an ineffective stand-in unfavourably compared with the original.

Four issues later John Walker returns wearing the red, white, and black of The Captain, now answering to the name "U.S.Agent". The Commission also places him with the West Coast Avengers as a condition of their government charter.

It might seem a little redundant to keep a second-rate Captain America running around the Marvel Universe, but it would've been a shame to retire the striking Tom Morgan design, which so perfectly suits the dark edge of John Walker.

It also opened up a storytelling palette with a different flavour, benefitting from the years of hard work spent constructing the John Walker character. [USAgent] continued to be a contentious figure, butting heads with his West Coast teammates, even as he fought with a better sense of restraint.

He unavoidably remained the 'asshole Captain America': a bona fide jerk far less idealistic than Rogers, but a well intentioned jerk, who managed to do some real good in the years that followed. It would take Mark Millar over a decade to present a more fundamentally ugly American super-soldier in The Ultimates.

At the time of this writing The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has begun airing on the Disney+ streaming service, and it's been amusing to see some viewers unsure if they should dislike John Walker. Especially so after the expectation of comic book reference seemed to weigh so heavily on WandVision.

As we've seen: John Walker has always been there to be disliked! The show even adapts the plot of Cap's unpopular replacement with an extra delicious twist by deliberately passing up more logical successors to the legacy -- namely the hand-picked Sam Wilson, and tenured Bucky Barnes.

So just how bad is John Walker? Today's featured fight should reflect poorly, but in future entries we'll track back through some of the real lowlights of his time as Captain America. We're also overdue to get back to more Falcon.

If you'd like to find battles with other characters you can follow links throughout this post to discover more. Or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete legacy of featured fights indexed in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured in excess of 600 battles and ranked well over 1000 combatants! If you like diving into superhero smackdown and want to help the record grow you can support the project by signing up to Patreon. As a thank you patrons receive access to extra updates, polls, and custom articles.

You can also subscribe to Twitter and Facebook to get free daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Don't forget to hit the like and share while you're there!

You can witness today's featured fight in its entirety for yourself by checking out the Captain America: The Captain collection. By using the Amazon links provided above you'll not only get yourself a good deal, but also make sure Amazon supports the site at no extra cost to you!

Winner: The Captain
#7 (--) Captain America (Steve Rogers)
#144 (-11) USAgent (John Walker)

SUPERMAN versus DEATHSTROKE

Sins of the Father (DC)
Where: Superman #68 When: June 1992
Why: Dan Jurgens How: Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding

The Story So Far...
For his entire adult life Slade Wilson has been caught in a cycle of violence, warfare, and betrayal. As Deathstroke The Terminator he's one of the world's most dangerous mercenaries, but his pursuit of a corrupt CIA agent has made him a wanted fugitive from the law!

Delayed on the tarmac in a commercial flight arriving to Metropolis, the disguised mercenary soon realizes he's the target of an undercover sting. His escape from the heavily armed Special Crimes Unit has unforeseen consequences when stray bullets strike a stewardess who also happens to be the daughter of an old war buddy - Sam Lane!

The wounded Lucy Lane is also the sister of Lois, whose romantic involvement with Superman sets the hero on a mission to find the man accused of responsibility. They were allies when the shadow of Warworld was cast over the planet, but now Deathstroke is being hunted!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Deathstroke 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Superman 5 (Lasers)
Total: Superman 33 (Super)

Superman is pretty much out of Deathstroke's league, but we come to this battle with the entrenched legend that a mortal man with skill, determination, and resources can orchestrate the downfall of The Man of Steel!

There was always the example of Superman's arch-nemesis Lex Luthor, but The Dark Knight Returns #4 established an enduring romantic vision for tactics and fighting ability levelling the playing field. It's something we've seen play out over many subsequent rematches. So if Batman can do it -- why not Deathstroke?

Along with extensive military training and field experience; Slade Wilson boasts super-human enhancements that put him a step ahead of most men.

Functioning with 90% brain capacity increases his tactical processing, speed, and reflexes, allowing Deathstroke to get the absolute most out of his performance in combat situations.

The greatest example of his potential may be Identity Crisis #3: There he was able to match and neutralize the super-powered ranks of the Justice League, by undertaking a specific detailed strategy for each opponent, including The Flash, Zatanna, Hawkman, Black Canary, and Green Lantern!

It wasn't a fluke, either. Two years after his debut Deathstroke performed the rare feat of beating Marvel's X-Men in the 1982 crossover Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans! The same issue also showed him ruthlessly defeating Batman's greatest student and his frequent Teen Titans adversary - Dick Grayson.

Superman is usually the overwhelming obstacle a less powerful character aims to overcome, but in more recent years that's a role Deathstroke has served. He was part of The Society team that devastated the Freedom Fighters in Infinite Crisis #1, and played the lone unbeatable bogeyman in Birds of Prey #90, and Green Arrow #62. The unpowered Green Arrow also stopped him in Identity Crisis.

With the right circumstances Deathstroke could almost certainly beat Superman, but operating alone will he have the necessary resources? Let's find out...

The Tape: Superman Ranking: Superman (#5)

What Went Down...

Deathstroke knows he's taking a risk vaulting across the Metropolis skyline in plain sight. Ordinarily he'd never chance such a visible dash -- not when he can be so easily spotted by the likes of Superman!

The Man of Steel has been looking for Deathstroke since the mercenary was inadvertently involved in the shooting of Lucy Lane. Superman has no way of knowing Deathstroke is innocent -- and is out to get answers!

Superman orders Deathstroke to give up and be taken in, but The Terminator has no intentions of going quietly. He unloads with a full plasma blast from his energy lance, and turns his enhanced mind to coming up with a means of escape!

Knowing he's outmatched: Deathstroke leaps from the rooftop -- relying on reflexes and guile to take him to a flag pole on the side of the building, providing a means of slowing his descent into a graceful flip! The flip sends him towards a street light, which in turn allows him to swing safely to the main street below!

The daring display keeps Deathstroke on step ahead of Superman, who thinks the mercenary has erred by landing dangerously close to the path of an oncoming Lexfreight delivery truck.

The speeding traffic provides enough momentary cover for Deathstroke, who rolls between the wheels of the truck and lies motionless within the exhaust fumes of passing vehicles -- until a bus passes over and provides a means of escape!

While Superman scans the road behind for signs of injury -- Deathstroke snags the rear bumper of the bus and swings himself onto the roof!

The invincible Superman soon thinks twice about Deathstroke's mortal frailty and spots him crouched on the escaping public transport.

Knowing he must keep moving to stay one step ahead of the impressed Superman -- Deathstroke leaps from the bus and backflips through the display window of a nearby department store!

Superman pursues, remaining intent on bringing his former-ally in. He scans the store, peering through the dark and listening with super-human accuracy.

With knowledge of Deathstroke's troubled past, Superman appeals to The Terminator's emotions. He mentions the mercenary's dead son and the potential cost of his latest violent actions, causing Slade Wilson's steady heart rate to spike.

Cheap ceiling tiles lift away easily to reveal Deathstroke hidden in the darkness of the space above. In seconds he's plucked from his hiding place and held in the inescapable steel grip of a rear naked choke!

Superman comes down hard on his short-lived ally, but Deathstroke asks for his trust and passage to Lucy Lane's hospital room. He knows he's been beaten, but his heart is still intent on confronting.

The Hammer...

With modern eyes it's kinda refreshing to look back on an issue that unashamedly respects Superman as the indomitable hero he is. Deathstroke made a valiant attempt at escape, but never really stood a chance.

For the fight fans: I don't doubt that Deathstroke could defeat Superman.

This issue makes some of the concessions you would usually find in an upset win against The Man of Steel. We might accept that Deathstroke moved suddenly enough to catch Superman flat-footed at first, but disappearing onto the road while traffic rolls over him is straining plausibility -- even without X-Ray vision.

We're led to believe Superman is coming into this face-off extra motivated by the shooting of Lucy Lane, but the plot also plays off of trust built by his recent team-up with Deathstroke just a few months prior, in Panic in the Sky.

Superman actually recruited Deathstroke from a rooftop in that story. He was seeking tactical leadership for a preemptive military strike against Brainiac's Warworld. An effort to take the war to space before it destroyed the Earth.

Indeed, Deathstroke successfully guided a team of heroes through the frontlines of Panic in the Sky, and you might've been fooled into thinking it was a full submission of the morally grey mercenary into prospective herodom.

Slade Wilson was already skirting the line of being a hero as the main protagonist of his own on-going series, and the Justice League had certainly welcomed more unusual members into their line-up over the years. It wasn't to be, though.

Ultimately Superman #68 serves to balance the books. Deathstroke still isn't an outright villain -- he wasn't directly responsible for Lucy Lane being shot while he escaped Maggie Sawyer's Special Crimes Unit -- but he's never the less returned to a more morally grey, antagonistic position.

Superman successfully takes The Terminator into custody at the end of this issue, and in his own series Deathstroke is moved to prison. He was setup by a corrupt CIA agent, but it hardly matters. Wilson quickly stages an escape that brings him into conflict with the Justice League and firmly ensconces him in outlaw status.

It's a pleasant reminder of just how much Deathstroke ventured into the larger DCU in the early nineties. 2004's Identity Crisis #3 might be viewed as the moment he was cemented as a villain for the entire DC Universe, but he'd already had a series of encounters with a who's who of DC heroes by that point.

I'm very much enjoying expanding the Deathstroke file and I'm sure we'll take a closer look at some of those other battles in the future. If you'd like to find them, or plenty of other featured fights, you should follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index ordered by publisher and series!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 1000 characters! If you like what it's all about you can help the project continue to grow by supporting on Patreon. As a thank you patrons receive access to additional updates, polls, and custom article options.

You can also subscribe to Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to battles inspired by the topics of the day! Don't forget to hit like and share for an extra boost!

If you'd like to witness today's featured fight in its entirety you can find it collected as part of Deathstroke The Terminator Vol. 2: Sympathy for the Devil. Use the Amazon purchase link provided to get yourself a good deal delivered to your door -- and you'll also support the site at no extra cost!

Winner: Superman
#4 (+1) Superman
#81 (-3) Deathstroke