MAN-THING versus HULK

... And Man-Thing Makes Three! (Marvel)
Where: Incredible Hulk #197 When: March 1976
Why: Len Wein How: Sal Buscema & Joe Staton

The Story So Far...
Battle with The Abomination onboard an out-of-control rocket leaves Hulk hurtling uncontrollably earthbound through the planet's atmosphere.

Crash-landing in the Florida Everglades -- the Hulk burns with anger & confusion as he resumes his lonely existence beneath the watchful gaze of a silent, shambling beast.

In the bosom of the swamp, Hulk finds hostile reptiles, but reverting to Bruce Banner briefly, he makes the acquaintance of a timid mute troubled by an anachronistic mob of pirates. These wretches are exhibits in The Collector's collection and now Hulk will face his prized champion in mortal combat!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Hulk 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Man-Thing 2 (Average)
Speed: Hulk 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Hulk 2 (Average)
Fighting: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Man-Thing 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Hulk 26 (Meta-Human)

Those who know fear burn at the Man-Thing's touch, but what's a little scolding to a Hulk who just burst into flames passing through Earth's atmosphere?

He launched a tactical pre-emptive strike when facing the fire of the Human Torch back in Fantastic Four #12, but decades later stood face-front relatively unscathed against the nuclear inferno of Red Hulk.

Hulk is far more prone to rage than fear, but he's facing a pretty weird opponent in circumstances well beyond his usual scope of operation, so let's not completely rule it out.

Of course, despite a fairly monstrous visage, the Man-Thing is actually a relatively kind natured creature, instinctively driven by a powerful sense of empathy, as well as sometimes preying upon the fears of those who misunderstand him. In many ways he's actually quite a kindred spirit for the Hulk.

The once brilliant biochemist, Dr. Theodore Sallis, is become a primitive protector of the innocent, and guardian to The Nexus of Realities found in the Florida Everglades that formed his new body.

It's a station that put Man-Thing on the frontlines of repelling the zombie plague of Earth-2149: home of the Marvel Zombies, where Hulk became one of the deadliest plague carriers to visit other worlds, and devour powerful opponents.

It seems even as a decaying zombie: Hulk is strongest one there is, but Man-Thing is only in this fight because of The Collector's influence, and that opens this fight up to a whole range of unexpected twists. Let's see what happened...

The Tape: Hulk Ranking: Hulk (#6)

What Went Down...

From the depths of the Everglades emerges the grim visage of The Collector!

Arriving to claim ownership of a freshly beaten mob of salty pirates, he inspires terror in the face of their mute victim. This is enough for the Hulk to match his newfound friend's fear with rage -- swiftly redirected by The Collector towards another figure suddenly appearing: His champion -- The Man-Thing!

At his master's behest the towering swamp monster marches toward a bewildered Hulk -- smacking him with the back of his mossy hand!

The hit only staggers Hulk for a fleeting moment.

The green goliath charges angrily towards Man-Thing to strike back in kind -- only for his massive fist to punch straight through the slimy vegetation of the creature's unharmed body!

Once again Man-Thing seizes upon Hulk's confusion as The Collector barks orders to strike!

With his marshy hands clasped, the Man-Thing brings them suddenly rising to Hulk's jade jaw with a powerful hammer-like two-fisted uppercut!

The Hulk's rage only grows as his primitive mind grapples with the situation. He had no reason to fight Man-Thing before, but now he will punish the creature for daring to attack!

While the Hulk swings his mighty fist like a wrecking ball through Man-Thing's mushy mid-section -- The Collector aims to stack the deck in favour of his indentured champion...

The elder of the universe casts the light of the fabled Philosopher's Stone on a fearful nearby mute, whose silent witness contorts into an expression of twisted horror as his existence is unmade -- reverting to a creature of oozing clay!

Completely under The Collector's influence, the living Glob is now directed to join the fight -- catching Hulk by surprise with a sneak attack!

The clubbing blow from behind drops the Hulk to his knees, but he soon puts wild eyes on the Man-Thing's unexpected accomplice.

With frustration and anger boiling over, the Hulk aims to smash this newest challenger -- only to find his fist once again glides ineffectually through its target!

With only a clay-soaked hand to show for his aggression, Hulk stares at his fist with existential dread. "Bah! You are made of clay -- like carrot-nose is made of slime! How can Hulk fight clay and slime? HOW??"

The creatures callously ignore Hulk's frustrated quandary, showing him the hard side of their marsh and mud with synchronous punches!

The shambling monsters approach their toppled foe and loom silently for a moment -- before The Collector once again rallies their attentions to an attack!

The Glob locks his arms around Hulk's chest while Man-Thing delivers clubbing overhead blows.

Hulk flails wildly in an attempt to repel his attacker and escape the hold, but the Man-Thing cradles Hulk's head and plunges it into his swampy chest!

Hulk continues to fight, his mighty lungs affording him more time than any mortal man, but even he can only last so long, especially once caught by surprise.

The Man-Thing silently holds Hulk's head within the suffocating bog of his own body.

Slowly but surely Hulk's thrashing begins to subside. As he succumbs to passing out, his arms fall limp and he drops to the ground, unconscious at the feet of the motionless Man-Thing and The Glob.

The Hammer...

The Collector's pirates come to gather the bounty of a defeated Hulk -- five or six of them struggling to lift his mighty figure as they're led to the private quarters of Collector's possessions.

You might not know it at a glance, but this marks something of a reunion for Hulk and one of his old adversaries.

The Glob first appeared in Incredible Hulk #121 when escaped convict Joseph Timms was accidentally doused in radioactive waste dumped into a swamp by the rampaging Hulk. The mugshot [pictured above] shows a portion of that dramatic 1969 cover by artist Herb Trimpe.

The Glob butted heads with the jade giant a couple more times, before passing through geographic convenience to the domain of today's marquee main eventer and inadvertent tag team partner: Man-Thing!

The Glob and Man-Thing became Florida Everglades sparring partners in the ever-famous Giant Size Man-Thing #1! A series of body horrors having taken The Glob from short-lived servitude to The Leader, to becoming a golden brain -- his body reconstituted under the command of Yagzan and his Cult of Entropy.

It all gets a little weird, but weird is what you get when you're dealing with re-animated monster men-things made from swamp muck and mud!

With slamming Sal Buscema on pencils this can't help but be big time super-hero smackdown, but it manages to be subdued enough to bog Hulk down in the mire of a horror genre monster mash. Just what would hit the spot this spooky season!

Hulk was born from a disaster of the super-hero atomic age, but we can't forget he began life as a figure of horror. A Dr. Jekyll and Frankenstein's Monster hybrid, a literalized creature by night lurking in the shadow of the human psyche.

Even after he was brightened up and entered into crossovers with Marvel's heroes of science, Hulk remained a monosyllabic beast, trading blows with the likes of The Thing, as if fulfilling the promise of late stage classic Universal horror movies with even bigger monsters, and bolder technicolour brawls.

We never seem to have enough Hulk on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, and with Halloween drawing near -- and Man-Thing making waves with a successful live-action return in Marvel's Werewolf By Night special -- it seemed like the perfect time to dig up today's classic back issue.

It's a very different dynamic to Hulk's fight with Jack Russell in Incredible Hulk #362, but there's a similar thrill reconnecting with that classic horror vibe. I'm enjoying building our file of the more macabre side of the superhero universes.

If you'd like to find more from your favourite horrors you should follow links throughout this article, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

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Winners: Man-Thing & The Glob
#353 (new) Glob (Joseph Timms)
#415 (+475) Man-Thing
#629 (new) The Collector [+1 assist]
#6 (--) Hulk

WONDER WOMAN & SUPERMAN versus QUEEN CLEA & BLOCKBUSTER

"Crisis in Eternity!" Chapter 2: "Crisis on a Lost Continent" (DC)
Where: Justice League of America #135 When: October 1976 Why: E. Nelson Bridwell & Martin Pasko How: Dick Dillin & Frank McLaughlin

The Story So Far...
King Kull, ancient Lord of Beast-Men, has devised a means to penetrate the fabric of space and time to invade The Rock of Eternity! He traps the gods within in a state of molecular slow-motion -- leaving humanity defenseless as he plans his ultimate revenge on modern man!

Only the god of speed, Mercury, escapes in time to warn the heroes of three worlds of the coming threat from beyond the multiverse: The Justice League of Earth-One, Justice Society of Earth-Two, and Squadron of Justice of Earth-S!

Opposing them are a small army of allies recruited by King Kull to bedevil the heroes. On Earth-Two: Queen Clea schemes to reclaim her Atlantean throne with the help of villains from three worlds. While Penguin & Ibac oversee construction of a doomsday machine, Clea & Blockbuster host Wonder Woman & Superman!

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

A few weeks ago we looked at Superman versus Wonder Woman, but that's not what they're all about. These legendary heroes are at their best working side by side -- and today they're forming a titanic tag team against a dangerous alliance!

Queen Clea reigns over the submerged Atlantean city of Venturia: an outpost where men are second-class citizens to physically imposing women, and efforts to conquer sister city Venturia are always on the agenda.

To aid in her plans for conquest Clea has recruited a villainous cadre from multiple Earths. She has specifically enslaved Blockbuster with a Venus Girdle to ensure the dim-witted powerhouse remains obedient to her every order!

Mark Desmond was a chemist who tested experimental formulas on himself, greatly enhancing his size and strength at the cost of his intelligence.

He's a traditional adversary for Batman, but we saw him joining the Suicide Squad in their first mission to take down Darkseid's avenging fire giant Brimstone. Its a battle that demonstrates both Blockbuster's formidable strength -- and its limits!

To that end: Blockbuster is arguably out of his weight class going up against Superman and Wonder Woman. He might be able to at least knock one of them around, but together they should be more than a match. There also remains the risk that he may break free of Queen Clea's influence and turn against her!

Wonder Woman and Superman are old pros working together many times as members of the Justice League. We've seen them triumph against Gorilla Grodd in JLA: Classified #3, and the Injustice League in Justice League of America #15.

This story is pre-Crisis, which means it's actually a crossover between two worlds: Superman hails from Earth-One, while this is the Wonder Woman of Earth-Two who we saw in JSA Strange Adventures #1 as a member of the Justice Society.

The classic Wonder Woman still relies on her invisible jet and might not be quite as strong as her modern incarnation. Will that matter? Let's take a look...

The Tape: Wonder Woman & Superman Ranking: Superman (#5)

What Went Down...

Scoping their opponents from the sky: Superman takes the lead, leaving Wonder Woman in her invisible jet above while he swoops earthbound.

He recalls the efforts of Wayne Enterprises to render Blockbuster more docile on the path to recovery, but gets a rude awakening when Queen Clea orders the hulking behemoth to punch him clean out of the air!

Kneeling in the dirt Superman chides his own over-confidence, while Blockbuster grapples with the effects of having struck the Man of Steel! 

The blow leaves Blockbuster clutching his own hand and complaining of the pain.

Superman sees an opportunity to strike, counting on the dim-witted villain to lack the sense to avoid an oncoming attack.

Superman swings both feet under Blockbuster's jaw with a gravity-defying kick!

The blow staggers the chemically enhanced powerhouse, but the Man of Steel has succumbed to over-confidence once more. He failed to note Queen Clea lurking in the background with a second Venus Girdle at the ready!

Before he even realises what's happening -- the golden belt of influence is clasped around his waist by a cackling Clea!

With Wonder Woman's jet landing nearby; Queen Clea slaps Blockbuster across the face and compels her slaves to confront the Amazonian arch-nemesis. The behemoth rushes to comply while Superman fights to resist the girdle's control.

Thinking fast -- Wonder Woman tosses her golden lasso over Blockbuster and stops him in his tracks. He silently trembles for a moment before succumbing to its magical influence and Wonder Woman's command to remove Superman's belt!

Now totally in thrall to Clea -- The Man of Steel arrogantly holds Blockbuster off with a single extended arm. The simplistic brute remains totally focused on removing the mind-altering belt, but he's simply no match for Superman's might!

"You got in one shot -- but that's all! Because you see -- I'm Superman... And nobody takes Superman... Got that? NOBODY!"

With one arm Superman easily lifts Blockbuster off his feet and sends him slamming violently into a nearby rocky mound!

Turning his attentions to Wonder Woman, the Man of Steel once again fights to resist the Venus Girdle. He warns he's about to attack, but as his resolve fades Wonder Woman defiantly orders him to stop -- and he does!

Queen Clea erupts with furious confusion as Superman freezes on the spot and Wonder Woman closes in to end her villainous plot with a charging uppercut!

The Amazon then liberates Superman from the Venus Girdle, noting it forces a state of obedience unto its wearer -- which can be influenced by any one!

The Hammer...

For a minute there it looked like we might have another battle between a mind-controlled Superman, and Wonder Woman, but the quick-thinking Amazon avoided conflict by hoisting Queen Clea with her own petard!

We looked at Superman vs Wonder Woman a few weeks ago, and although it can be a lot of fun to see who wins when heroes go head-to-head -- I've been craving an antidote to the increasingly common trend of hero-on-hero violence.

That seemed as good a reason as any to return to the 'Crisis on Three Worlds': a three-way crossover that subverts the once annual tradition of Justice League and Justice Society meetings by adding The Squadron of Justice of Earth-S!

You might know that particular world as the pre-Crisis home of Captain Marvel, as well as his prehistoric nemesis King Kull -- who is the arch-villain of this story!

King Kull is manipulating events from The Rock of Eternity in an effort to exact revenge against modern day humans. Queen Clea's lust for conquest over Earth-2's Atlantis creates an alliance of convenience, which also involves The Penguin and Ibac, working in addition to Clea's outmatched bodyguard: Blockbuster.

We've already seen what happens when Green Arrow catches up with Penguin, and I rather look forward to eventually taking a closer look at Ibac's fate, too.

In the mean time: It might seem a little corny that the Venus Girdle could so easily be turned against the one conspiring to use it, but I kind of appreciate the literal quality of the rules. It only forces obedience upon the wearer. Not loyalty!

It's also nice that Wonder Woman had the opportunity to resolve the situation somewhat peacefully. Sure, she still kayoed Clea with a sock to the jaw, but she remains a warrior for peace, looking for simple non-combative solutions. I like it.

I also enjoy seeing heroes work together to resolve problems in a relatively short amount of time. This fight spans a brisk four and a half pages of spine-busting action. Dick Dillin uses the page space pretty well with classic layouts.

I'm a little less keen on some of the complications that come with the pre-Crisis multiverse. Modern canon recast the Earth-Two Wonder Woman as Diana's adventuring mother Queen Hippolyta. In these original printings it was very much the Wonder Woman we all know and love.

Because of that fact we consolidate these characters in the records unless there's a specific reason to consider them otherwise. Which means this victory will push Wonder Woman into the Top 10!

If you'd like to see today's battle for yourself you can find it collected in Crisis on Multiple Earths Volume 4! Use the Amazon purchase link provided to do any of your shopping and you'll not only get a great deal -- you'll help support the site at no extra cost!

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured over 650 battles and is counting down to ranking our 1000th character! You can check out some of the ranked fighters in the 2020 Rankings Recap, or just revisit the Top 20 Fights of 2020 and Featured Fight Recap. Or explore the Secret Archive for a complete index of every featured fight organized by publisher, series, and issue number!

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Winners: Wonder Woman & Superman
#5 (--) Superman
#10 (+1) Wonder Woman
#362 (-56) Blockbuster
#940 (new) Queen Clea

SENTINELS versus CYCLOPS & JEAN GREY

Merry Christmas, X-Men... (Marvel)
Where: X-Men #98 When: April 1976
Why: Chris Claremont How: Dave Cockrum

The Story So Far...
A white Christmas in Midtown Manhattan is a time for love and joy for the merry mutants of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The X-Men gather on Fifth Avenue as civilians, parting ways to enjoy their yuletide exploits.

For Scott Summers & Jean Grey it's a chance to rekindle the flickering flame of romance with a romantic date at Rockefeller Center. The rare opportunity to let their hair down comes to a harrowing end when the top floor Rainbow Room is torn open confirming the worst: The Sentinels have returned!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sentinels 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Cyclops 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Sentinels 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Cyclops 2 (Average)
Fighting: Cyclops 4 (Trained)
Energy: Jean Grey 5 (Lasers)
Total: Cyclops 24 (Champion)

Sentinels represent the extreme in anti-mutant hysteria. Originally designed and conceived by Dr. Bolivar Trask; first generation Sentinels were destroyed by their creator when he realized his fears for a "mutant menace" were unfounded, and his Master Mold artificial intelligence sought to enslave all of humanity.

Working from the Trask family's incomplete files: Dr. Stephen Lang created a third iteration of Sentinels as part of the government funded program: Project Armageddon. These are the robots in pursuit of Cyclops and Jean Grey!

This generation of Sentinel is outfitted with powerful concussive energy blasts, knock-out gas, projectable atmos-sphere suspension bubbles, and a durable body that's shown to be water resistant while submerged in the ocean.

Although very strong, Sentinel bodies house sensitive computer and electrical systems that can be fatally damaged with enough blunt or penetrating force. At approximately 30 feet tall, they make very large targets for the likes of Cyclops, whose optic plasma is perfect for blasting them to smithereens!

At full power Cyclops can rattle even mighty Thanos [Infinity Gauntlet #4] and Juggernaut [Unlimited Access #3]. Jean Grey is no slouch either, developing her telekinetic powers exponentially over the years. We've seen her mangle metal in her early days against Executioner [Marvel: Heroes & Legends #1], and unleash the Phoenix force against Xorn [New X-Men #150].

We know specialists like Nimrod and the Tri-Sentinel can pose a serious threat, but the iconic Sentinels are kind of famous for being destructible cannon fodder. Is that a fair reputation? Let's dive in and find out!

The Tape: Cyclops & Jean Grey Ranking: Cyclops (#83)

What Went Down...
Scott Summers takes his date's coat as he and Jean Grey saunter toward their table for a night's fine dining. Their romantic evening is soon ruined as the very building begins to shake and the high rise restaurant is peeled open like a cheap tin of sardines: The Sentinels have returned!

Two titanic Sentinel robots climb through the gaping hole they've made in the building. Terrified patrons run for their lives, but not the out-of-uniform X-Men the machines have come for! They rush bravely towards the danger!

Cyclops makes the first move, firing an optic blast that barely scratches the mechanical menace. It coldly claims resistance is futile for the erstwhile Cyclops and Marvel Girl, having been designed to negate all the X-Men's abilities.

Not having gone by "Marvel Girl" for quite some time, Jean speculates the Sentinel may have outdated data unaware of her greatly improved telekinetic powers. She  thrusts her hands forward to test the theory.

Sentinel A7 is knocked off balance by the intangible push of Jean's powerful mutant mind! Her mental shove takes out an ankle and shunts its chest, setting up Cyclops to unleash the fullest extent of his eye blast!

The powerful plasma beam explodes into the night through the Sentinel's torso!

Even as it does, the accompanying Sentinel takes "extreme action", plucking Jean Grey from the restaurant floor with one of its giant metal hands. With the other it fires a concussive blast that destroys the ground beneath Cyclops' feet!

Fearing for her lover's life: Jean prepares to attack -- but before she can act the Sentinel floods her lungs with knockout gas!

Spraying the chemical agent from its free fingertips, the machine confirms the death of Cyclops as Jean slips into nightmarish unconsciousness.

Sentinel A7 rockets into the New York City sky via "ultra-linear leap" as it carries its helpless captive toward her fate at Project Armageddon.

Despite the robot's assessment, Jean's fellow X-Man has survived -- but for how long? The blast of the Sentinel's rocket powered boots inadvertently blows wreckage and Scott Summers away from the exposed Rainbow Room floor!

Cyclops manages to catch a bent radio tower, dangling precariously more than sixty stories above the street! With none of his X-Men comrades present, he can only wonder how long his grip will hold before the inevitable plunge.

The Hammer...
This wasn't the end of Cyclops, so you won't be surprised to find Storm came to his rescue. She rides an updraft at the vital moment, carrying him safely to the ground.

Banshee and Wolverine also noticed the commotion caused by the giant-sized Sentinels, but apparently met a grim fate on their way to attempt assistance. This was elaborated upon in an inserted page for the Classic X-Men #6 reprint, but doesn't appear in the original issue. Instead, they show up later as captives of Dr. Stephen Lang, with Jean Grey.

Another Sentinel shows up to attack Cyclops and Storm on the street, which is a skirmish I'm sure we'll take a closer look at some time in the future.

For rankings purposes we're treating the Sentinels as a mutually programmed gestalt entity, but keep an eye on Sentinel A7. That particular unit has been given special consideration because, despite being blasted through the chest by Cyclops, this won't be the last time we see it.

A7 will return at a later date to cause malfunctioning trouble for another hero in a very memorable appearance.

It's a continuation that very much reminds me of the way the eviscerated Hellfire Club goons from X-Men #133 were brought back as the cyborg Reavers for Uncanny X-Men #205, and other future appointments. Wonderful examples of the way comics can take an incidental moment or detail, and create something real and lived out of it!

Of course, the reintroduction of the Sentinels is itself another, more common brand, of lived experience. It revived a threat that hadn't been seen in new stories for around seven years. Quite a long time for such a classic adversary, but due in part to the X-Men lapsing into reprints for 26 issues in five years.

Sentinels have been redesigned many times in the years since, to accommodate new technology and ideas, but the central appeal of monolithic mutant hunting robots always seems to come back around.

I think they just have the right combination of over-the-top visual appeal and philosophical dread.

Giant robots are cool! Just look at the endless appeal of an early example like Gort in 1951's The Day The Earth Stood Still, all the way to current iterations of Japan's extensive and storied giant mech tradition. Sentinels seem to owe their creation to the former, sharing in its existential dread, .

They are usually emotionless, yet they reflect the very worst of us. They are an inexhaustible army of agents servicing human spite, fear, and bigotry. A philosophical challenge, as much as a mechanical one. No matter how many are destroyed, they return as long as humanity has the capacity to loathe them into existence.

The metaphors behind the Sentinels echo through time, elevating them beyond your average innumerable destructible horde, but there is always that simple appeal of seeing giant purple robots get smashed up by super-powers. Just get a load of that panel of Cyclops' red optic blast ripping through A7!

If you want to get the full experience from this classic Sentinel story you can find it collected in X-Men Epic Collection: Second Genesis and as part of Uncanny X-Men Omnibus Vol. 1.

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 650 battles and ranked well over 950 characters! You can find them all by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles in order of publisher, series, and issue. Or follow on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to battles inspired by current events!

Winner: Sentinels
#340 (new) Sentinels
#591 (new) Sentinel A7 [+1 assist]
#83 (--) Cyclops
#142 (-5) Jean Grey

PENGUIN versus GREEN ARROW

"Crisis in Eternity!" (DC)
Where: Justice League of America #135 When: October 1976 Why: E. Nelson Bridwell & Martin Pasko How: Dick Dillin & Frank McLaughlin

The Story So Far...
King Kull, ancient Lord of Beast-Men, has devised a means to penetrate the fabric of space and time to invade The Rock of Eternity! Trapping the gods within in a state of molecular slow-motion, he begins his revenge on the humanity that supplanted him -- but not unopposed!

The fleet of foot god of speed, Mercury, escaped The Rock of Eternity moments before King Kull's attack, allowing him to traverse the multiverse to recruit the Justice League of Earth-One, the Justice Society of Earth-Two, and the Squadron of Justice of Earth-S!

King Kull has recruited his own small army of allies to bedevil the heroes of three worlds. Acting under the orders the Atlantean Queen Clea; Penguin and Ibac work to construct a machine that will restore her reign -- only to be set upon by the two-man force of Green Arrow and Spy Smasher!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Green Arrow 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Green Arrow 2 (Average)
Stamina: Green Arrow 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Green Arrow 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Green Arrow 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Green Arrow 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Green Arrow 24 (Champion)

Once upon a time The Penguin was considered one of the premier opponents for Batman, but over the years he's been better identified as a businessman, and mastermind, who pulls the strings from behind a façade of legitimacy.

Though dapper of dress and stout of frame - Penguin has proven himself plenty street wise! Ruthless aggression and an arsenal of weapons concealed in trick umbrellas more than makes up for his limits as a hand-to-hand combatant!

We saw Penguin's always reliable machine-gun-brolly in action when he took on the scarlet speedster in Flash #210. Hopelessly outmatched, he was also relying on local muscle from Keystone City to help bridge the divide. In today's featured fight, it's slightly more even as he crosses umbrella gimmicks with trick arrows!

Green Arrow appears to have a lot of conventional advantages over Penguin in the combat arena. His superior athleticism, and training in the martial arts and archery are an easy path to victory. He's relied on these skills to overcome seemingly superior foes, such as the super-humanly strong Brick [in Green Arrow #45 & #60], and Black Hand in Green Lantern: Rebirth #1.

If Penguin can plant his feet and turn the fight into an old fashioned shootout, he should be able to pin the archer down and dictate the fight on his terms. He also technically has the super-powered Ibac in tow, but he'll have his hands full with Spy Smasher. This is strictly mano-a-mano. Let's see what happened...

The Tape: Green Arrow Ranking: Green Arrow (#34)

What Went Down...
The villainous Ibac completes construction of a mysterious machine under The Penguin's watchful monocle when suddenly another arrives by air!

From the craft steps the heroic twosome of Green Arrow and Spy Smasher! Ibac recognizes the latter, prompting the villains to split-up to take on their respective foes individually!

Remembering Green Arrow from a previous encounter with the Justice League, Penguin opens up with the barrel side of his rainbow coloured bumbershoot!

The weapon discharges a colourful burst of offensive fireworks, but the flames are quickly snuffed when Green Arrow slings off a CO₂ arrow!

The Penguin switches tactics, attempting to fight aerosol with parasol when his umbrella begins spewing a cloud of noxious gas!

The green fumes spell certain doom, but GA has another trick in his quiver, producing a fan-tipped arrow that blows the smoke right back at The Penguin!

The backfired attack engulfs Penguin in his own gas, sending the squat super-villain into a gentle slumber.

The Hammer...
Short, sharp, and straight to the point!

The Penguin did his best to upset the emerald archer, but this time he simply wasn't well enough equipped to deal with Green Arrow's legendary marksmanship, and bag of trick arrows!

The victory helps ensure the Justice League thwarts the grand designs of Queen Clea and her band of unlikely accomplices. The scheme to regain control of her underwater domain is itself part of an even bigger plot hatched & overseen by the watchful eye of King Kull. His mission: destroy humanity on three worlds!

Kull's revenge is part of the once-annual tradition of crossovers between the Justice League on Earth-One, and the Justice Society of Earth-Two. Per the villain's origins, this time the 'Crisis on Multiple Earths' runs three-ways, to include Earth-S: home of the wicked Ibac, and his arch-nemesis Captain Marvel!

There's no shortage of action in this, or adjoining issues. Truth be told, the clash between Green Arrow and The Penguin is a pretty small slice. Sometimes it's those little, easily overlooked battles that can be the most fun to dig up.

Comparisons between Green Arrow and Batman run deep into their earliest days in print. It would be generous to say that Green Arrow was merely influenced by The Dark Knight. Replete with his own equivalent kid sidekick and Arrowcar, the wealthy bowman borrowed liberally from his counterpart in the Golden Age.

The pair have grown much more distinct over the decades, but flirtations with their past similarity still occur from time to time. We saw trouble in Gotham spill over into Star City when Red Hood had memorable off-brand run-ins with Brick [Green Arrow #70], Green Arrow [Green Arrow #71], and Mia Dearden - the then-new Speedy [Green Arrow #72].

GA arguably doubled-down on gimmicked gadgets to a far greater degree, making the match-up with Penguin an interesting twist on his usual battles with Batman. Possessing an arsenal of trick umbrellas made to fire similar gimmick weapons, he's a natural foe for Green Arrow. In fact, this is a rematch of sorts!

In the earlier Justice League of America #61, Penguin briefly assumed the identity of Green Arrow, magically trading places with a similarly disguised Batman! It was all part of a convoluted plot to retire Green Arrow and jail the Justice League. It all unraveled when the out-of-costume Oliver Queen got the drop on his unsuspecting imposter, kayoing him in the street with a blunt arrow.

On that day, Penguin was canny enough to upset the green-garbed Batman, but he never even saw it coming when the real deal hit him from behind with an arrow! Today's clash wasn't exactly the rematch of the century, but it was a mite more interesting a test of their respective weaponry.

I got a kick out of the small skirmish, and it was a nice opportunity to talk about two heroes making waves in the domain of live-action. Stephen Amell is set to retire the role of Oliver Queen when Arrow wraps at the end of this year. Meanwhile Colin Farrell has emerged as the unlikely actor to play The Penguin when The Batman arrives in theatres, 2021. Fair enough!

If you'd like to get the full story surrounding today's battle, you can find the entire issue collected in Crisis on Multiple Earths Volume 4! Use the Amazon purchase link provided and you'll not only get yourself a great deal -- you'll help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no additional cost!

We'll return to more of the crossover clashes found in this issue at some point in the future. You'll be able to find those and so much more superhero smackdown in the Secret Archive: a complete index of every featured fight in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Be sure to follow links throughout this post to connect with more from the characters featured. Or simply follow The Comic Book Fight Club on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to battles inspired by topics of the day!

Winner: Green Arrow
#23 (+11) Green Arrow
#932 (-11) The Penguin

AQUAMAN versus BLACK MANTA

The Manta-Ray Means Murder! (DC)
Where: Adventure Comics #446 When: July-August 1976 Why: Paul Levitz & Martin Pasko How: Jim Aparo

The Story So Far...
Aquaman has been overthrown as King of Atlantis and run out of the city under threat of death from new ruler: Karshon! With his wife Mera and son by his side, the ousted monarch is desperate to contact Aqualad to warn him of the dangers of returning - but even Robin cannot locate the aquatic Teen Titan's whereabouts!

On the Mississippi Delta; Aqualad & Aquagirl are mixing heroics and pleasure by visiting the paddle steamer Club Mark Twain to investigate diamond smugglers. The bust uncovers a grander plot with Black Manta pulling the strings and using surprise to get the drop on his nemeses' ward and his daring date!

Aquaman uses his marine telepathy to desperately canvas the waters for his missing ward. It's a race against time as the arch-villain concocts a deathtrap of malicious mantas and mind-numbed electric eels ready to kill Aqualad!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Aquaman 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Aquaman 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Aquaman 4 (Trained)
Energy: Black Manta 5 (Lasers)
Total: Draw 24 (Champion)

We've seen what happens when Aquaman goes head-to-head with Ocean Master, but now it's time to test him against another of his deep diving, aquatic arch-nemeses: Black Manta!

Our stats measure them approximately equal in the overall stakes, but Black Manta derives his sub-aquatic skills from an artificial source. His power suit keeps him as nimble in the sea as an Atlantean, outfitted with life preservation technology, reinforced helmet, strength enhancement, and heavy artillery!

Manta's arsenal most famously includes deadly "manta-ray" lasers fired from the eyes on his helmet, but he also carries a variety of tricks, such as swords, spear guns, harpoons, pistols, and torpedoes. His propulsion system has also been known to work in and out of the water, making his own body a deadly missile thanks to his suit's high-pressure durability!

There's no doubting Black Manta is one of Aquaman's deadliest enemies, but the King of Atlantis is no stranger to tough competition!

His ability to communicate with marine life has always offered a unique arsenal, such as the school of fish who helped him beat the Mercury Monster in Secret Origins #32, or the killer whale who controversially squashed Marvel's marine master Namor in Marvel versus DC #2! He was less successful marshaling sharks in battle with Despero, whose telepathy won out in JLA #118.

We also know Aquaman has the muscle and knowhow to beat strong and well armed foes! He turned the Olympian's own medieval weapons against him, delivering a kayo uppercut in JLA: Classified #3! The aforementioned battle with Ocean Master was a knock down, drag out slugfest in Adventure Comics #444!

These are two perfectly matched warriors who know each other very well. On any given day one could defeat the other. As the hero, Aquaman is traditionally the victor, but you can never count out Black Manta's cunning! Manta has Aqualad hostage, and is facing an Aquaman dethroned by Karshon -- which could prove the psychological advantage! Let's see if it worked...

The Tape: Draw Ranking: Aquaman (#32)

What Went Down...
Black Manta is so preoccupied gloating over the aquarium deathtrap now holding Aqualad - he fails to notice an orange & green dynamo decimating the guards on deck! When he finally hears trouble: Aquaman is already upon him!

The sudden, devastating impact of Aquaman's left hand slams so hard through Black Manta's helmet he topples to the ground!

No matter! Like the Manta's namesake, he proves just as deadly while flat on the ground! The villain throws a stiff kick into Aquaman's waiting mid-section before unleashing the awesome energies of his manta-ray eye beams!

The powerful muscles in Aquaman's legs react in the blink of an eye - launching him just above the deadly blast and out of harm's way! The daring dodge allows the deep sea dominator to launch a swift counter-measure!

Remembering his old foe's weaponry well: Aquaman charges with the speed of a dolphin to deliver a precision strike to the back of Black Manta's suit!

Even as Aquaman successfully deactivates the deadly Manta-Ray device, Black Manta continues to gloat over the imminent death of Aqualad! Little does he realise his murder plot has failed -- twice!

An earlier attempt to send Aqualad's girlfriend to a watery grave backfired as she too is an Atlantean! Freed from her restraints when Aquaman arrived to the floating night club - young Tula has already paid it forward by shattering the glass that kept Aqualad prisoner with mindless mantas & electric eels!

Aqualad makes his presence known by diving in to grab Black Manta's legs! The assist plants the villain to the spot, rendering him immobile as Aquaman delivers an unforgiving straight shot to the ribs - and follows with an uppercut!

Manta staggers desperately across the deck, but on his home turf - he isn't as helpless as he seems. Just as Aquaman boasts he has his nemesis where he wants him: the villain hits a button -- and disappears down a hidden hatch!

The bottom of Club Mark Twain opens up, releasing the hidden Manta-Ship into the waters below! It seems Black Manta has made his daring escape, but in the water Aquaman has his own contingency!

A telepathic command springs a giant squid out of hiding amidst a camouflaging cloud of ink! Massive tentacles wrap around the fleeing Manta-Ship, engaging a tug-of-war between marine-life and machine! The metal of the Manta-Ship is left a twisted mess, but its powerful hyper-drive breaks free.

The Hammer...
Black Manta may have successfully escaped, but his running is a symptom that comes from defeat! Aquaman wins the day, with a notable assist from Aqualad and Aquagirl!

I'd actually forgotten that Tula played a part in rescuing Aqualad, so that's a fun little follow-up to her recent induction via Blackest Night #2. As morbid as it sounds, I'm still hoping to take a closer look at her untimely demise in the pages of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Nice that we got to experience a small taste of her relationship with Aqualad in today's feature.

I've been particularly excited about getting to today's featured fight! Not because it specifically holds special significance in history, but because I've really been enjoying this period of Aquaman in Adventure Comics, and because I've been wanting to get Black Manta on the books for a very long time!

Black Manta is just one of those classic comic book characters who couldn't have come from any other medium! The bold visual of that iconic helmet, perched atop a simple black bodysuit, is really all you need to know! He's a cool looking villain uniquely equipped to carry out a vicious vendetta against Aquaman!

It makes me a little sad to think of the years Black Manta, and similarly fantastic characters, were out of vogue. For a little while in the nineties they tried him out as an actual human-manta hybrid, but that only did more damage. All you need is that insane helmet and you've got a must-see character!

Thank goodness cooler heads have prevailed in recent years. Black Manta isn't just back in action, he's about to become a multimedia sensation thanks to next month's Aquaman movie. Warner Brothers, with director James Wan, seem to be making every effort to unleash a visual spectacle upon the screen, with Black Manta all-but fully realized in live action! It's very exciting!

Speaking of exciting visuals - how about that Jim Aparo? Isolated panels may not do the artist's work true justice. I hope you can at least appreciate a sense of what the full layouts offer. Aquaman is a madman of action, throwing himself into fights and scenes with reckless abandon! So many angles! So much impact!

The whole story has a very enjoyable mix of pulpy sensibilities and modern super-heroics. I'm not sure anything can match the blistering whirlwind of furious fists and sci-fi adventure from Adventure Comics #444, but this issue goes it's own way, sweeping wildly through monstrous octopods, inter-personal dramas, and Aqualad & Tula mixed up in an undercover casino dive!

If you want to experience this issue in its entirety - you may have to do some digging, but if you do it via the Amazon link provided, you'll help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths! The 70s Adventure Comics era was well represented in Aquaman: Death of a Prince trade collections presently out of print.

You can find more from Aquaman and his family by clicking the search tags below, or links found throughout this post. You can also discover classic combat and surprising smackdown by browsing the Secret Archive! To get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day follow on Twitter and Facebook. A like, share, or retweet is another great way to support the site!

Winner: Aquaman
#20 (+12) Aquaman
#863 (new) Black Manta
#153 (+41) Tula (Aquagirl) [+1 assist]
#562 (+300) Tempest (Aqualad) [+1 assist]