BLACK PANTHER versus ULYSSES KLAW

The Way It Began..! (Marvel)
Where: Fantastic Four #53 When: August 1966
Why: Stan Lee How: Jack Kirby

The Story So Far...
Wakanda celebrates the invited arrival of the Fantastic Four, but as they do, a sinister presence from the African nation's past plots against their young ruler!

Massive rampaging jungle beasts attack the unsuspecting kingdom! Animal simulations created from pure sound energy! They are weapons of revenge created by the master of sound: Ulysses Klaw!

Klaw attack Wakanda ten years earlier, killing King T'Chaka in an attempt to claim the country's deposit of rare vibranium metal! Young Prince T'Challa thwarted the attack, and must once again go on the hunt to stop the brutal arch-nemesis whose hand he once destroyed! While the Fantastic Four battle Klaw's sonic monsters -- Black Panther confronts his father's killer!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Klaw 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Black Panther 5 (Professor)
Speed: Black Panther 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Klaw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Black Panther 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Black Panther 4 (Trained)
Energy: Klaw 5 (Lasers)
Total: Draw 26 (Meta-human)

Every great hero has a villainous shadow to haunt them time and time again. Black Panther has faced many ferocious foes, but none ranks quite as highly as today's featured felon -- his brutal arch-nemesis!

Ulysses Klaw (later renamed Klaue) is the self-proclaimed Master of Sound! He was a Dutch physicist who first ventured into Wakanda to claim the world's largest deposit of a rare, valuable mineral called Vibranium.

The early encounter brought Klaw into conflict with Black Panther's father, King T'Chaka, who he murdered in cold blood! Klaw and his machine gunning men spread much death and destruction through Wakanda, but the young Prince turned Klaw's own sound blaster against him! The encounter cost Klaw his right hand and sparked a blood feud that continues into Prince T'Challa's maturity!

Klaw outfitted his damaged hand with a weapon capable of firing deadly blasts of controlled sonic force! His vibranium powered machines can even create animated objects of pure "solid sound" -- a state he himself will be converted to after the initial showdown featured in today's grudge match!

Most will (hopefully) recognize Klaw as the bizarre pink & red villain known for also rattling the likes of: The Thing, Fantastic Four, Captain America, The Avengers, The Thunderbolts, Daredevil, Carnage, and others.

Fantastic Four #53 marks Klaw's first appearance, an early incarnation to be sure. In the issue prior, we were also introduced to Black Panther, who had the entire Fantastic Four on the ropes, specifically upsetting Thing during the battle!

Without the intimate knowledge of each other's arsenals that they'd have much later, it's tough to say who has the advantage. Klaw's sound-based arsenal will one day be neutralized through the unique properties of vibranium, and other sound-based strategies. In a man-on-man struggle, the advantage seems to belong to the Black Panther. Let's see if that's actually true!

The Tape: Draw Ranking: Black Panther (#72)

What Went Down...
Knowing the jungles of his kingdom well, Black Panther leaps through the trees for the one location capable of hiding Klaw's hideous machines. Coming upon the massive cave, he effortlessly disposes of two guards and stalks toward his true target. Klaw recognizes the voice of the Prince as if he'd heard it yesterday!

Klaw turns to face his nemesis, threatening with the metal Force Glove that now replaces his broken right hand! The Panther keeps his distance, confidently stalking like his namesake as Klaw gloats about the sound converter's power!

Rather than test Black Panther's phenomenal reflexes, Klaw returns to his main machine to generate a massive sound creature: a simulation of a panther!

Instead of ironic vengeance, Klaw is shocked to witness T'Challa's speed and strength as he grapples with the sound beast! It is every bit as ferocious as the real thing -- but the legend of the Black Panther is no exaggeration!

Recognizing the true skill and might of his opponent, Klaw knows he cannot toy with the Panther. With the flick of a lever the giant jungle cat disappears!

For a more direct attack Ulysses Klaw again turns to the lethal power of his hand-worn Force Glove! He claims Wakanda's vibranium as his ultimate prize, even if it costs the lives of every tribesman who survives the Prince!

The vile invader seems to be on the verge of victory - but he has failed to learn one of the Black Panther's greatest weapons: his mind!

A brilliant scientist in his own right: T'Challa has found the switch that will send the massive sound converting machine into a fatal overload! It begins to blow itself apart! The delicate circuits burst with uncontrolled energy!

With total destruction imminent: The Black Panther makes a hasty exit -- fleeing the catastrophic explosions that bring Klaw's secret cave down upon him!

Outside, rampaging constructs that terrorized Wakanda begin to dissipate. The Black Panther joins the Fantastic Four in victory, while inside the collapsed cave, the man called Klaw finds himself still alive, and ready to take a desperate risk!

The Hammer...
Ulysses Klaw may have lived to fight another day, but there's absolutely no doubt about the victor. Black Panther defeated Klaw's sound beast, thwarted his plan, and saved his kingdom! All in a day's work for the Panther prince!

Unbelievably, even with 888 characters ranked in the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths record -- we've never gotten to Klaw!

The shifting roster of the Frightful Four meant we got real close a couple of times, but it's only now, fighting against his arch-nemesis, that we open an account for the Master of Sound!

Admittedly, part of the delay is by virtue of holding off on the exploits of Black Panther, to best dedicate the month of February to Marvel Studios' latest starring hero! It's one of the most exciting Marvel movie releases since Iron Man, but as always, we look to the comics for even greater source material!

Baron Zemo was ultimately responsible for the death of T'Chaka on screen, but as discussed in The Tape section, the bad blood that makes Klaw arch-nemesis of the Black Panther runs deep. He murdered T'Challa's father and laid brutal siege to the kingdom of Wakanda. A crime he would revisit many times again.

The villainous origin story was revised in more explicit detail in 2005 by writer Reginald Hudlin. His take explicitly cast Klaw as a Dutch invader, recalling raw truths of real-life colonial history in Africa.

The story launched with a new #1 as Volume 4 of the Black Panther series, which may be one of the reasons you didn't read, if you were a comics fan of the mid-2000s. The relaunch officially divorced the series from Christopher Priest's cult millennium revival, and awkwardly positioned it as an undeclared - and indistinct - retcon of the classic origin stories.

The opening story arc, Who Is The Black Panther?, fashions Klaw as a new character in company with old favourites, like Batroc and Rhino. it effectively retells the backstory introduced in Fantastic Four #53, fleshing it out as a modern action-adventure of murder, espionage, and revenge. Taken on its own terms, it's an all-time great Black Panther story, and well worth checking out!

We should really wait until we get to the Reginald Hudlin story to talk more about it, but with February running out, I had to touch on it. It's one of my favourites and an admirable attempt to revamp what was done by Kirby and Lee in 1966. Which itself set a high bar for introducing a new hero into the growing Marvel Universe, and pairing him with a strong new villain, as well!

Typically timid, Hollywood has made a few more modifications to the Klaw character. One of the most noticeable will be the spelling of his name, now the slightly less literal "Klaue".

As always, it's easy to reject the perceived risk to credibility.

I'm not aware of what Stan Lee or Jack Kirby's inspirations would've been, but we know there would've been two contemporaries in 1960s New York City with the surname Klaw!

Just a few months after Ulysses Klaw was created for Marvel Comics, Irving Klaw passed away. Born Isadore Klaw, he was a New York purveyor of raunchy pin-ups, famous for propagating the image of Bettie Page. He was operating since the 1930s, and probably would've been a name known to publishing circles.

In the theatre world, there was Marcus Klaw. A producer and theatre owner of German Jewish descent, he died in 1936. You couldn't necessarily call him a contemporary of Lee & Kirby, but his Klaw Theatre was active on Broadway until being demolish in the mid-fifties. Another prominent example of the Klaw name available to the creators of the comic book villain.

So, yes, to modern American ears "Klaw" may ring false for its transliterate homonym (Claw). However, it is a real surname, and not at all unreasonable under greater scrutiny. Which is why we'll happily continue to refer to it!

You can refer to Klaw, too, when you follow character links littered throughout this post, or below in the tags section! There are thousands of featured fights to find, and many hundreds of characters involved!

You can also dive into the Secret Archive to find battles index by publisher, series, and issue number! Sharing your favourite links is a great way to support the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! You can also get daily links to battles inspired by the topics of the day by liking and following on Facebook & Twitter!

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Winner: Black Panther
#47 (+25) Black Panther
#844 (new) Klaw (Ulysses Klaw)

BLACK PANTHER versus THING

The Black Panther! (Marvel)
Where: Fantastic Four #52 When: July 1966
Why: Stan Lee How: Jack Kirby

The Story So Far...
When the royal leader of an African nation gifts the Fantastic Four a hi-tech flying vehicle, they're invited to participate in a great Wakandan hunt. Little do they realize - it's the Fantastic Four who will be the prey!

Upon arrival they discover a nation built with the wonders of super-science and riches beyond belief! This is the remarkable kingdom of The Black Panther!

Black Panther hopes to test his fighting prowess and advanced technology against the cosmically powered might of the Fantastic Four. A gambit that begins by separating the group, leaving Thing to unwittingly stumbled into a trap that will leave him vulnerable to unarmed combat!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Thing 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Black Panther 5 (Professor)
Speed: Black Panther 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Thing 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Black Panther 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Black Panther 4 (Trained)
Energy: Black Panther 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Black Panther 26 (Meta-Human)

What is this? The year of beatin' up on Aunt Petunia's favourite nephew?! We're back talking another classic case of hero-on-hero action, with the ultimate measure of power being the ever lovin' blue-eyed Thing!

This could be a slightly controversial entry, given its status as a fight-within-a-fight against the Fantastic Four. More on that in the Hammer section at the end. For now, we merely concern ourselves with a battle of speed, agility and wits against unstoppable brute strength!

Black Panther is T'Challa: Son of King T'Chaka, and rightful heir to the Wakandan throne! Black Panther lives up to the virtues of the isolated African nations rule by honing his body, senses, and mind through rigorous training.

T'Challa possesses phenomenal speed, agility, strength, and hand-to-hand technique, harnessed with an engineering mind that rivals that of Mister Fantastic! This genius not only furnishes Wakanda with technology beyond that of most modern nations, but also T'Challa himself, who hides many useful tricks within the thin lining of his Black Panther uniform!

The advanced technology of The Panther's suit was on display when he battled Doctor Doom in Black Panther #19! Perhaps more impressively, we saw his physical feats when he fought Captain America to a standstill in Tales of Suspense #98, and the Super-Skrull in Fantastic Four (Vol.2) #6!

His unassisted opposition to the Super-Skrull is the most effective example of how his fighting technique can stall even an opponent as powerful as Thing! Black Panther's stand was made brief by Super-Skrull's cosmic powers, of which Thing possesses none. As The Tape shows -- Thing is all about power!

The Panther has the fighting acumen to turn strength against an opponent, but he may not have to. This fight is the Black Panther's first appearance, and it's taking place in his home arena! At this stage of the fight, he's already used his hi-tech surroundings to entrap Human Torch and Invisible Woman.

Thing is a long way from home and quite possibly out of his depth!

The Tape: Black Panther Ranking: Thing (#10)

What Went Down...

Having been repelled from the rest of his teammates; The Thing recovers by what he believes to be a refreshing pool of water. In truth, he has stumbled into one of the Black Panther's well laid traps -- dousing himself in dangerous amounts of clear, strength-sapping devitalizing fluid!

The Panther Prince seizes his opportunity -- leaping from the shadows cast by labyrinthine machinery to the unsuspecting Thing's back!

The Thing goes to ground, but lifts himself to tackle the head-on Panther. With his strength sapped, he proves far less effective than expected! Black Panther stands his ground and fires off a right hook that sends Thing staggering!

Black Panther grants Thing the opportunity to pull himself to his feet, if only for the satisfaction of knocking him back down. So weakened is the rock-skinned hero, he requires the aid of a nearby post of machinery just to stand steady.

Once back to a vertical base: Thing unleashes a mighty right hand that would rattle the toughest of opponents -- if he still possessed his incredible strength!

Once more the heroes lock-up! The Panther pays homage to Thing's undeniable courage, but cannot compliment his lack of fighting skill.

Riled up by the verbal jab; Thing puts his back into it -- charging like a raging rhino! Black Panther has no choice but to side-step the barreling brute, inadvertently sending him on a path towards a high-voltage refrigeration unit!

Panther tries to warn his opponent of the impending doom - but it's too late!

The Thing smashes into the machine, releasing a deadly deep freeze! It's only by good fortune that he survives the frost as the effects of the devitalizing fluid begin to wear off! He will be frozen solid -- but he will survive!

The Hammer...

Is that a cry of controversy I hear? Objection from the seasoned fans?

Fantastic Four #52 is, of course, famous for the first appearance of Black Panther. It's also relatively well known for The Panther's plan to challenge and defeat the entire Fantastic Four.

It's a test of tactics, tech, and technique, with a healthy helping of teamwork.

Much of the action-packed issue is dedicated to a continuous war game between the Fantastic Four and their Wakandan host. However, under careful scrutiny, and much deliberation, The Comic Book Fight Club determines that the skirmish with Thing functions as an entire fight within the framework of the larger battle.

That means at a later date we will return to review The Panther's battle with the entire Fantastic Four, providing reference to this isolated encounter. It will simply function as a tangent within the larger context of The Panther vs the FF. Similar distinction may be afforded to his brief battle with Invisible Girl, as well.

Why does any of this matter? Hey! Take a look around, buddy. Fight results are kind of the name of the game around here. Sometimes the judge's call has to be invoked to keep the Fight Club Rankings clear. There's something else, too...

Superheroes aren't a whole lot different from any conventional combat sport. When you've got a hot new prospect like Black Panther, you want to get him over by showing what he can do. Like pro wrestling, comics are in control of the outcome and the particulars of the match. So there are a lot of tools to use.

As the headlining act, the Fantastic Four are usually going to come out with the win in the end. Fifty-one issues of victory means they have equity to take a few hits from a new character. So Black Panther may not succeed in beating the team as a whole, but by creating isolated fights within the battle, there's ample opportunity to show he's the real deal.

As The Tape clearly showed: Black Panther isn't in the same strength bracket as Thing, but that kinda protects both fighters.

Supping from a random pool in an indoor environment doesn't say much for Thing's thought process, but the devitalizing fluid means his defeat comes with an asterisk -- he wasn't at the top of his game! So Black Panther gets a big notch on his belt, but Thing gets to walk away with the benefit of the doubt.

Black Panther is undoubtedly one cool character, so it made sense to give him this big debut. It clearly paid off, because he'd have many more adventures in the Marvel Universe, as a title character, and part of memorable ensembles like the FF, and the Avengers!

You can't make it on your own as a hero if you don't have some worthy super-villains to beat up. When you mention Black Panther there's one big bad guy that immediately springs to mind. He debuted in the next issue of FF, and we'll aim to take a closer look at his unique brand of villainy real soon!

We probably won't be doing month-long themes in this year's Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, but anticipation for the theatrical arrival of Marvel's Black Panther has been a long time coming! We've been saving up for it so February could get the black carpet treatment!

Need more Black Panther in your life? Follow links and tags (below) to discover more from your favourite topics - or dive in to the Secret Index to check out past battles filed by publisher, series, and issue!

Use the Amazon link provided [embedded right] to read this story for yourself in collected edition. Doing so helps support the site at no extra cost! You can also show your support by following on Facebook and Twitter for daily fight links inspired by the hot topics! Every like, share & retweet helps!

Winner: Black Panther
#72 (+55) Black Panther
#10 (--) Thing

HERCULES versus HULK
The Titan and the Torment! (Marvel)
Where: Tales to Astonish #79 When: May 1966
Why: Stan Lee How: Bill Everett & Jack Kirby

The Story So Far...
When a young man carelessly parks his jeep on a military testing range, he seals the fate of the noble Dr. Bruce Banner, destined become a lumbering green Hulk!

Banner dedicates his life to the struggle of reversing his condition, but complications continuously arise as his rampaging, childlike alter-ego encounters those that would seek to destroy, mainpulate, or channel the powers of the incredible Hulk!

When a Dr. Zaxon is hired to replaced Banner at missile command, the villainous scientist's true motivations are revealed to be that of harnessing the gamma irradiated powers of the Hulk for himself! Irrepressible; the Hulk escapes the bondage of the evil doctor, and in doing so, raises the ire of Major Glenn Talbot's military forces, who pursue him into the path of an on-coming train that just happens to ferry a demigod on the path to a career as a Hollywood star...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Hercules 2 (Average)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Hulk 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Draw 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Draw 1 (None)


- Hercules is the demigod spawn of king of a the Olympian gods, Zeus, and Alcmena; the mortal daughter of the king of Mycenae.

Despite a conspiracy perpetrated by Hera and Luciana to prevent the birth; Hercules was born after seven days of labor, to rule those around him, by the decree of Zeus. The mammoth child would indeed traverse many perils to grow into a mighty leader of men, whose strength became the stuff of legends.

So far did the tale of Hercules travel, that he would gain the attentions of Nordic counterparts, who would seek to employ his power to unstick the might of the god of thunder, Thor! Despite many showdowns; Thor and Hercules would become godly allies, and members of Earth's mightiest mortal protectors - the Avengers!
Hercules' return to the mortal realm would also include tenures with the Champions, Heroes for Hire, and the Defenders, continuing his presence as a sometimes unruly force for the good of mankind.

- Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, a slight and insignificant scientist, lives slavishly dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, as funded by the United States military.
Though Banner justifies his goals as means for peace, he becomes one of America's leading weapons designers after inventing a gamma radiation bomb.

During preperations for a test launch in the desert, Dr. Banner spots a reckless youth on the testing ground, and in a moment of magnificence, knowingly throws himself on a bullet that would grant a far crueller fate than death.
Bitterly aware of the Communist conspiracy of his fellow scientist, Banner struggles to usher he and the boy to safety while his colleague continues to countdown the launch.

After succumbing to an ordinarily lethal doses of gamma radiation, Dr. Banner soon finds himself undergoing a horrific transformation. Originally by night, but soon triggered by rage or unease, Banner discovers the superhumanly strong alter-ego within himself, dubbed simply - the Hulk! As the Hulk, Banner's brilliance is reduced to a childlike lumbering, while his slight frame conversely comes to possess size, strength, and durability never before imagined.

Hulk has no specific known weaknesses, but is fiercely protective of the few who earn his favour. Though generally good hearted, Hulk is prone to wild rages and varied personalities, including the calculating persona adopted during his time on the planet Sakaar, where he adopts a military savvy.

The Math: Draw Ranking: Hulk (#6)

What Went Down...
The Hollywood find of the century is Hercules!
When an industrious press agent discovers the perfect man to play Hercules on the screen (Hercules himself!) they hop on a train to tinsel town, unaware that fate was about to bring the Olympian titan into the path of the incredible Hulk!

Fleeing fighter planes the Hulk finds a retaliatory weapon in zig zagging desert railtracks just begging to be ripped up and thrown! Just as Hulk reduces the bars to scrap metal, the train closes in on that very area!

Hercules cuts a commanding figure as he emerges from the crowd of startled passengers, intent to meet the interruption head-on. Startled by the green visage before him, Hercules is taken by surprise, as Hulk greets the opportunity to grapple with an opponent large enough to withstand his might!

Like a cornered lion; the Hulk launches Hercules into surrounding terrain with a counter-attacking toss! Hercules turns the projection to his advantage, but Hulk easily halts the Olympian's boulder-wielding charge, with a blow that shatters both the sediment, and warrior!

Hercules introduces Hulk to his immortal durability, taking his licks to retaliate with a charging headbutt that leaves Hulk floating for a devestating left hook!
Taking the momentum, Hercules snatches his burly foe by the ankle, looking to launch him like an Olympic hammer, but the green goliath has other ideas! With surprising agility Hulk manages to swing out of the predicament, striking Hercules in the jaw with a Polish hammer!

Hercules gives pause to the impressive power of his mortal opponent, musing on his understanding of Thor's passion for the modern world of the Marvel Universe. Such thoughts are dwindling, with further battle yet to be waged.
Herc wallops Hulk but fails to curb his efforts to lock the demigod in a bearhug!

Though grimacing under the impressive pressure, Hercules scoffs Hulk's attempts to close out the battle with the crushing hold. Insulted by Hulk's choice of finisher, the son of Zeus explodes in a vengeful barrage! With a toss, Herc vaults Hulk over his shoulder into a piledriving slam into a nearby desert cliff.

Hercules rips open the crater made by Hulk's impact, to stuff the green goliath between the two halves of Earth, which he brings colliding together with the might of a god! Thus, Herc claims another triumph in his unfolding saga, but...

... Hulk emerges from his makeshift tomb with the hunk of earth above his head! Much to Hercules' chagrin, the unstoppable Hulk flings the mountainous boulder in his direction, unwilling to accept defeat!

Hercules performs the amazing feat of catching the giant rock, but just as he does, man-made missiles hurtle from the sky! A barrage of US artillery shells rain down upon the Hulk, diverting his attentions back toward the true enemy.
Frustrated by his military stalkers; the Hulk uses his powerful limbs to leap away, disappearing into the distant landscape of the barren desert. So he leaves Hercules to ponder the power of a nemesis he will surely meet again.

The Hammer...
There's no arguing; this is one of the biggest super heavyweight showdowns you'll find in comics, and run though the Hulk did, minimal conclusions can be drawn from this fight. With a solid showing from both heroes this one ends in an inconclusive draw!

This, of course, marks the first entry in what is intended to be a month's celebration of the theatrical realse of Incredible Hulk! The movie officially hits cinemas worldwide June 13 and stars Edward Norton in the title role, with; William Hurt, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, and Lou Ferrigno as the voice of the Hulk. Fans of the '96 Marvel Studios animated series will tell you that actually isn't as silly as it sounds.

It's maybe a little odd that we indulge the Hulk film given that I'm not particularly keen to see it. Contributing to the reduced presence of cinema-goers, I'm really more of a DVD-phile in general, these days, but a strong contingent of nostalgia for the 1970's TV series has me especially turned off.

Also working against the release is the fact that I can't help but shake the feeling this new feature; intent on distancing itself from the previous flop; is exactly the kind of Hulk action movie I was glad I didn't get the first time. Despite it's problems, I was a definite fan of the much maligned Ang Lee psycho-drama [Hulk], and would have very much liked to have seen where the Academy award winning director could have gone next.

If you're an Infinite Wars regular reader, you've probably already reconciled my paradox.
As illustrated by this very entry - if not the entire site - I'm more than happy with a bit of mindless fisticuffs when it comes to my four-colour fiction.
I gladly acknowledge World War Hulk, Countdown, and Mortal Kombat as among the highlights of Season 2008, but that's all put down to context...

When it comes to distilling the Hulk story to it's greatest conceptual high; an implied duty of a feature film adaptation; I expect more.
In fact, it's the regularly attacked psychological underpinning of the first Hulk feature that resonates especially well with my expectations. Expectations that, I feel, recall many of the Hulk's finest moments in the comics. Moments that dwell as much on the psychological and philosophical aspects of the character, as they do the fantasy of his physical charisma.

Top 25 Super Heavyweights#1 Iron Man (Marvel)
#2 Superman (DC)
#3 Hulk (Marvel)
#4 Thing (Marvel)
#5 Black Adam (DC)
#6 Sub-Mariner (Marvel)
#7 Thor (Marvel)
#8 Silver Surfer (Marvel)
#9 Martian Manhunter (DC)
#10 Wonder Woman (DC)
#11 War Machine (Marvel)
#12 Colossus (Marvel)
#13 She-Thing (Marvel)
#14 Powergirl (DC)
#15 Bizarro (DC)
#16 The Destroyer (Marvel)
#17 Mephisto (Marvel)
#18 Drax (Marvel)
#19 Orion (DC)
#20 Mallen (Marvel)
#21 Crimson Dynamo (Marvel)
#22 Ultron (Marvel)
#23 Captain Atom (DC)
#24 Maul (Wildstorm)
#25 Despero (DC)I fully expect to gain something from watching the Norton vehicle. While I'm not particularly in love with the actor, I believe he'll turn in a competent enough performance that, with any luck, will channel Bill Bixby to a minimum.

Meanwhile, I'm sure there'll be ample opportunities for further musings and uninformed comparisons in the weeks to come, as we glance through various inconsequential moments in the Hulk's history.
As much as I'd like to provide some sort of material to support my ideals about what's fairly expected of a Hulk film, that really isn't conducive to the Infinite Wars mission statement of boxing and biffery.

In this, an Olympic year, I fully expect to see more from Hercules, who, I think, has been one of Marvel's most valuable players since inheriting the Incredible Hulk title [as the aptly named, Incredible Hercules].

For a very long time I had forgotten what it was that made Hercules an enjoyable character. I mean, sure, I'm a fan of the classic mythology, and even bought into the glam adventures of the not-forgotten Kevin Sorbo series, but when it came to the Marvel superhero, it was all a bit eh.

As a bumbling muscleman with various incarnations of the Avengers; I think Hercules' greatest struggle was with his own irrelevance. When it comes to mythology in the Marvel universe, Herc has always been dwarfed by the significance of the Norse characters spinning out of his comics precursor, Thor.

I suppose it's refreshing to see the character involved in something more than dunder-headed posturing, but it is nice to go back to these early appearances, where the thrill of the fight was justification enough for a guest-starring role. In some respects I think it's the loss of majesty that's been the price for a modern era transitioning from visually-driven stories, to more densely written comics.

The middle ground seems to have been lost, stripping the characters of a certain degree of weight that once came from infrequent rotation. In this respect I can almost appreciate what recent stories in Amazing Spider-man have been trying to do, even if I feel they've fallen far short of the target with their new additions.

Incredible Hercules has done well to continue on from the five-issue epic of Hulk's gauntlet-match assault on the Marvel Universe, introducing his own lined-up list of adversaries, most notably including clashes with age-old rival, Ares.
At the end of the day comics benefit greatly from story, but as an on-going medium full of inherently interesting characters there's a license of conflict that allows an approach not dissimilar from professional wrestling organization - a subject to be tackled at another date!

The Fight: 5.5 The Story: 4

Not quite convinced the Hulk is the strongest one there is? If you want the before and after of this story, you'll find this, as well as forty-plus "Tales to Astonish" Hulk shorts, and a whole mess of other early materials, in the Hulk Omnibus! Or, if you're looking for a smaller slice, why not check out the "Versus the Marvel Universe" trade, which includes many classic Hulk fights, but not the Hercules battle featured today. Need to know where to get all these great reads? By using Amazon purchase links provided you help invest in future entries in the Infinite Wars -- so get spending, puny human!