VENOM versus SPIDER-MAN

Maximum Carnage, Part Five: Over The Line! (Marvel)
Where: Spectacular Spider-Man #201 When: June 1993 Why: JM DeMatteis How: Sal Buscema

The Story So Far...
Cletus Kasady has re-bonded with the Carnage symbiote and escaped the Ravencroft maximum security facility in a violent slaughter that spills into New York City! There he finds an adopted family of killers to take the massacre city-wide: Shriek, Doppelganger, and the Demogoblin!

After failing to stop them alone: Venom sought to rekindle a desperate alliance with his old enemy, Spider-Man -- but not even a team-up with Black Cat and the vengeful Cloak could stop the destruction! Now the heroes are fighting just to survive as a Manhattan Warehouse burns around them!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Venom 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Spider-Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-Man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Venom 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Spider-Man 29 (Metahuman)

The fallout from Chapter Four has left our heroes worse for wear, and at each other's throats, as Maximum Carnage continues!

Carnage and his adopted family of demented killers have been left to continue unabated after triggering a dramatic warehouse explosion -- and that's enough to strain the unlikely alliance between Venom and Spider-Man!

Die hard fight fans might want to skip ahead to coverage of Chapter Six, because this isn't really a battle on the same level as their classic clash in Amazing Spider-Man #347, or even the more obscure Spider-Man Family #2.

Venom has been drastically weakened by the symbiote's vulnerability to fire, and Spidey's mind is on rescuing Black Cat from the burning warehouse wreckage.

For a self-professed "Lethal Protector" like Eddie Brock it's difficult to accept that Spider-Man would choose rescuing an ally over stopping the murder spree that could continue at the hands of Carnage and his crew.

Venom's skewed sense of justice has pitted him against various heroes and would-be allies over the years, such as Ghost Rider, Iron Man, and even DC's Superman. With an old enemy like Peter Parker an alliance is extra dicey, and his sense of responsibility for the creation of Carnage makes it all the more personal!

History: Spider-Man (1-0-1)

The Tape: Spider-Man Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...

The alien symbiote drips from Eddie Brock's body like a thick ooze as he struggles to crawl through the broken beams & boarding of an unknown rock band's burning storage warehouse.

The massive fire drastically weakens the living costume that supplies Venom with his powers, but still he furiously compels Spider-Man to leave the inferno and resume pursuit of Carnage and his cadre of killers.

Spidey feels confident enough to leave Venom to fend for himself, while he goes deeper into the wreckage to rescue Black Cat from certain immolation!

Brock crawls his way out of the burning building, desperately attempting not to save his own life but those of countless others who might be killed by Carnage.

The crawl becomes a stumble as Brock rises to his feet - only to collapse back down into near unconsciousness as the building behind him explodes!

With Black Cat safely under his arm, Spider-Man soon arrives upon Eddie Brock: face down and motionless with tar-like strips strewn across his body.

They slowly begin to thicken as the symbiote revivifies and Venom regains his strength.

Spidey gently helps a rattled Black Cat to the ground, while Venom rises to his feet, suddenly enveloped in his customary black costume. He asks about Spider-Man's success stopping Carnage -- and doesn't like the answer he gets.

Incensed by Spider-Man's refusal to leave Black Cat to "roast" -- Venom lunges at his temporary ally with talon-like claws narrowly missing his injured ribs!

They question each other's sanity and ethics, with Spider-Man deeming a decision to leave either of his allies to die tantamount to murder. It's a prospect that inspires violent ideas for reprisal in the dual minds of Venom.

Black Cat enters the fray to cool things down: "You're really a piece of work, Brock! You get mad at the spider for saving me -- then waste time trying to bash his head in, while those maniacs get farther and farther away!"

The wake-up call steers Venom's rage towards the Cat, but what bruises his ego most is that she's absolutely right. The real enemy is Carnage.

The Hammer...

The tension is ratcheting up, but I think it's fair to say this wasn't much of a fight. Venom threw the only actual punch, and the rest is verbal sparring and philosophical differences. A non-starter ended by everyone getting back on the same page -- kinda...

You might've expected Black Cat to be the hero who calls it quits after a building collapsed on her, but it's actually Spider-Man who decides the alliance isn't working out for him. He simply cannot reconcile with the cutthroat tactics Venom demands -- and Black Cat is agreeing with.

After berating her former squeeze for treating her like a lowly damsel needing rescue; Cat further chides him for choosing her life over the countless lives Carnage could already be taking elsewhere in the city.

It's a moral split that actually sees an irate Black Cat following Venom back into battle, despite a violent history together, and his total willingness to throw her life away.

The duo will reconvene with Cloak on Fifth Avenue, where arriving mere minutes after reports of Carnage's rampage will mean more lives lost to the senseless slaughter.

So far every chapter of Maximum Carnage has featured one or more big battles, but Part Five sadly scales back the serious superhero smackdown right as master of action Sal Buscema joins the party! What we're left with is a couple of short skirmishes and near misses, but there was no way I was going to skip this issue!

Spectacular Spider-Man #201 ignites the fire of the crossover by following up the explosive previous chapter with a heavy sense of consequence and drama.

The issue might see heroes and villains returning to their respective corners, but there's no shortage of action and excitement. In fact, this always struck me as one of the most impactful issues of the Maximum Carnage crossover.

It seemed like Venom and Black Cat were going to tip the scales back in favour of the good guys, but all they really did was accumulate more injuries.

The issue announces its drama with the very first page: A surprisingly cinematic opening, despite its use of a traditional 9 panel grid.

On either side of Page 1 is a column of three panels, each showing an intense close-up of a roaring inferno. They're interspersed with discrete narration boxes for creator credits. Buscema's inks generate a sense of violent animation, given blistering heat by colorist Bob Sharen's use of vivid yellows, orange, and white.

Down the centre of the page are three claustrophobic mugshots: our heroes -- each showing distinct signs of distress!

If the cliffhanger of Black Cat's torn glove poking out of warehouse wreckage got your mind racing at the end of the previous issue -- her wide-eyed grimace, face pouring with sweat, makes the danger all the more personal, and kicks the drama up a whole extra level right on Buscema's first page!

Below the cat is Venom: mouth agape, with symbiote bleeding away to reveal Eddie Brock's barely open right eye. The salivating, bulging monster responsible for so much terror in previous Spider-Man stories is gone -- reduced to a pathetic mortal barely able to act. The situation is real bad for the good guys.

Something about the destruction of that warehouse, and seeing our heroes in such a vulnerable and battered state was arresting. Spidey is already nursing busted ribs from Chapter One, which were aggravated in Chapter Two. That was also the battle that appeared to claim the life of Dagger, which we learn has left Cloak experiencing bouts of dizziness and weakness.

There's an obvious physical toll mounting throughout each issue, but the mental strain is showing, too. That will continue to permeate the story as the heroes endure further punishment, and New York City itself becomes engulfed in violent madness as Carnage's killing spree inspires a wave of likeminded acts.

When I was doing my best to cobble the event together from newsstands back in 1993 -- this was the issue that convinced me it was a story unlike most from Marvel. I didn't have the frame of reference back then, but it strikes me that the format is similar to the saga structures more common in Shonen Jump manga. There's a late era Dragon Ball Z vibe to the weight of temporary defeat, inter-personal drama, and city-wide destruction the heroes will later discover.

We love blockbuster superhero fights on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, but to put it all into perspective, it helps to take stock of the little battles, as well. Today's skirmish provides context for future installments, while also reminding us that the classic Venom/Spidey rivalry doesn't always erupt into a fight to the death.

If you crave a more substantial struggle -- we've got you covered! You can find well over 600 featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number by diving in to the Secret Archive! Or follow links throughout this post to uncover key issues and specific topics relevant to your interests.

You can get ahead of the reading and see the whole thing for yourself by picking up a collected edition of the Maximum Carnage storyline. By using Amazon links provided to do any of your online shopping you'll not only get a convenient deal, but also be supporting the site at no extra cost!

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Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#2 (--) Spider-Man
#16 (--) Venom (Symbiote)
#50 (--) Venom (Eddie Brock)
#136 (+2) Black Cat [+1 assist]

RAZORFIST versus WOLVERINE

Save the Tiger Chapter 4: The Ordeal (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Comics Presents #4 When: Early October 1988 Why: Chris Claremont How: John Buscema

The Story So Far...
Madripoor: A crime-ridden island principality just south of Singapore. They say its a city for the very rich and the very poor, where everything's for sale for the right price.

Lowtown is where you'll find the worst of the worst, but the lawless streets aren't without their charms. That's also where you'll find Wolverine, mixing it up with the local riff-raff in the Princess Bar. The perfect place to get away from the troubles of the X-Men -- and find all new troubles!

The dying words of a man named Dave Chapel brought Wolverine to the bar and its co-owner "O'Donnell". Chapel was tortured and left for dead in the desert, mixed up with a local crime-lord called Roche. Wolverine's come to "save the tiger" and that means he's a direct enemy of Roche, who'll do anything to learn the whereabouts of his competition -- including torturing the out-of-towner!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Wolverine 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Wolverine 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Wolverine 26 (Metahuman)

Logan's in a real bad place, strung up with chains and tortured by the local crime-lord's personal "Inquisitor". His healing factor has held out long enough for  a shot at escape, but that means going through Roche's personal enforcer!

Douglas Scott is one of three men to have answered to variations of the moniker Razor Fist. Like his predecessors: he eventually had both his hands surgically replaced with short swords to match the deadly fists of Shang-Chi.

An assassin of some renown; Douglas has sold his services to various criminal enterprises, including a brief membership with The Hood's Syndicate that sent him into conflict with The Punisher. He's also battled the likes of Hawkeye, Elektra, and Captain America, but when you're talking about a man with knives for hands, there's really only one hero we want to see him go up against -- Wolverine!

Crossing claws with swordsmen has produced mixed results for the X-Man over the years. His mutant healing factor will almost certainly allow him to recover from any impalements or lacerations, but it doesn't guarantee he'll win a fight.

In Wolverine (Vol.3) #20 we saw The Gorgon cut him down with a lethal precision impalement, while the vampire hunter Blade merely slowed him down with a light skewering in Blade #5. He also took a sword through the torso from old nemesis Silver Samurai in Wolverine #37, but endured long enough to claim victory.

To beat Silver Samurai he cut the swordsman's right hand off -- an effective way to neutralize the threat of Razor Fist. He also opted for evisceration against the cybernetic claws of Lady Deathstrike and The Reavers in Uncanny X-Men #205.

It's said Wolverine's adamantium blades can cut through just about anything, but not all metals are sliced so easily. When he raked his claws against the cyborg limb of Donald Pierce in X-Men #132, the arm was damaged but remained in tact.

Could Razor Fist's sword-like appendages be tempered enough to take on the best there is at what he does? We're gonna find out!

The Tape: Wolverine Ranking: Wolverine (#5)

What Went Down...

Keen for freedom from Mr. Roche's prison -- Wolverine puts aside thoughts of being rescued by the X-Men to gather his resolve to help himself.

He unsheathes his razor-sharp adamantium claws to cut loose from the chains that dangle from the ceiling. A twist and flick of his wrist is all it takes, but he drops with a heavy "THWUD" and slips into unconsciousness on the stone floor.

When his mutant healing factor helps him revive there's no way of knowing how long he was out cold. It hardly matters. The building remains unguarded and he takes his opportunity to slip out and escape through the outside garden.

Suspicions that it's all too good to be true prove founded when Razorfist breaks the silence of the night from behind a bush: "I've been expecting you, stranger."

Still bearing the wounds of torture, Wolverine steels himself and stomps toward his opponent with short links of chain still dangling from his wrists.

Razorfist swings wildly with the blade that would be his left hand, slashing at Logan's bare chest with the promise of a warrior's death. He aims to spare the prisoner further torture at the hands of his employer's Inquisitor!

A second downward strike with his right-hand blade cuts through Wolverine's gut and presses the mutant onto the back foot.

Weariness from a day of torture overwhelms Wolverine. His mind is lost in a sea of utter fatigue as he struggles just to think -- let alone fight!

Razorfist delivers a straight shot with his right blade that sends Wolverine's head violently snapping back. The blow takes its terrible toll.

Wolverine's body is heavy with exhaustion and can no longer obey. He's finished and he knows it -- even before Razorfist plunges his blade into his throat!

A primal scream of pain enters the air and Wolverine collapses into the roaring stream behind him. The river carries his body to a nearby waterfall.

Razorfist puts a blade to his forehead and salutes his fallen foe, lamenting the circumstances of their meeting. He would've liked a fairer fight against a worthy adversary. Instead, his report to Mr. Roche will tell of a prisoner slain in escape.

The Hammer...

You can safely assume the conclusion wasn't as fatal as Razor Fist thinks. In a few issues Wolverine will be back on his feet, and ready for a rematch without the burden of having been tortured for a day prior.

Your mileage may vary, but I like a Wolverine that doesn't shake off that kind of abuse in an instant. The Inquisitor clearly did some very unpleasant things, leaving him with wounds to the body & arms, and a bloody nose. Nasty stuff.

I'm also very fond of Razor Fist. We're talking about this battle because a version of the villain has made his live-action debut in Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, but I've had this issue sitting on my desk for what must be years now.

Who doesn't want to see Wolverine and Razor Fist go at it?

Sure, it might be argued that the outcome of a fair fight is a foregone conclusion. Razor Fist isn't really in Wolverine's league, even though he could be in the right story. It's just such an appealingly simple, almost dumb concept. A battle of the bladed fists. It hits different than his fights with Sabretooth or Lady Deathstrike.

Of course there's really no denying that the Razor Fist concept teeters on the absolute brink of absurdity. Most fans tend to skew a tad scatological when pondering the practicalities of replacing your hands with razor sharp blades. In the script for Marvel Comics Presents #4: Chris Claremont settles for working an obligatory joke about how he can dress and feed himself into Wolverine's internal monologue.

Other stories have shown Razor Fist surrounded by dedicated servants, or concubines. I rather liked John Romita Jr's revised mid-nineties design that outfitted him with cyber-prosthetic hands. It was a compromise that didn't take away from the graphic conceit of honking great knives where his hands are, but borrowed somewhat from the overhanded concept of Wolverine's claws.

The classic design reminds me of something you might've seen from the eighties G.I. Joe toy line, but it mustn't be forgotten that Razor Fist comes from the world of Shang-Chi and The Master of Kung Fu series.

He may look a little silly, but he's part of the tradition of Enter the Dragon and the villainous Han, albeit a little lower in station. He's a martial artist with a Bond villain gimmick that probably shouldn't be taken as lightly as he is.

Now that we've opened the door to Razor Fist I hope to come back to further explore some of his later exploits in the Marvel Universe. Even in obscurity he found himself into some pretty interesting situations.

I also hope we'll get a chance to return to the atmospheric realm of Madripoor, which could be a significant location for the newly announced Wolverine video game for PlayStation 5! A lot of interesting things to unpack there!

In the mean time: if you'd like to take a tour of Madripoor on your own time you can find the entire 10-part Save The Tiger story collected in Marvel Comics Presents: Wolverine Vol. 1 and Epic Collection Wolverine: Madripoor Nights. Use the Amazon purchase links provided below and you'll not only get yourself a choice cut delivered to your door -- you'll also help support the site!

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 1000 characters! You can find more of them all by following links throughout this post and others, or by exploring the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number!

Get free daily links to battles inspired by the hot topics of the day by subscribing on Twitter and Facebook. Don't forget to like, fave, and share posts, and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday!

Winner: Razorfist
#411 (+461) Razor Fist (Douglas Scott)
#5 (--) Wolverine