FLASH versus RAG DOLL

Countdown To Crisis! (DC)
Where: Justice League of America #196 When: November 1981 Why: Gerry Conway How: George Perez & Romeo Tanghal

The Story So Far...
In an effort to destroy his nemesis Superman, Ultra-Humanite forms a Secret Society of Super-Villains across two worlds. His goal: to orchestrate the capture of ten key heroes who will upset the balance of worlds - resulting in the orchestrated destruction of his own!

Earth-1 is home to a Justice League of America led by the youthful Superman, while Earth-2 boasts seasoned veterans of the Justice Society and a matured Superman. Despite a meeting between the heroes of two worlds, they are blissfully unaware of the forces plotting against them!

The Society's efforts have already led to the capture of Earth-1's Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Batman and Earth-2's Hawkman and Hourman! Now the wicked Rag Doll, and recently unretired Monocle, set their sights on Earth-2's Flash with the world only 40% away from cosmic annihilation!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Flash 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Flash 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Flash 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Rag Doll 6 (Generator)
Agility: Rag Doll 6 (Rubber)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Rag Doll 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Flash 26 (Metahuman)

As the golden age Flash: Jay Garrick was the fastest man on Earth-2! Exposure to strange vapors unlocked the speedster's unique powers, later linked with the same esoteric Speed Force that fuels Barry Allen and Wally West!

How do you beat a guy who can move faster than you can see? A lot of villains have tried, but few methods have been as unusual as Rag Doll's!

If you've ever had a friend who was double-jointed, you've seen first-hand how a person can bend fingers and limbs the wrong way. In the case of Rag Doll: Peter Merkel was born triple-jointed -- allowing him to twist and contort his every joint into bizarre and impossible configurations!

Most notably: Rag Doll can compact his body into impossibly tight spaces. With such phenomenal natural pliability has also come a super-human quality to absorb impacts! The flow of his flexible limbs isn't super-fast, but he's been shown to react quick enough to twist between the flight path of gunfire!

Rag Doll's known to carry guns himself, and even though The Flash is faster than any speeding bullet, he can occasionally be caught by surprise! We saw Sandman use powers and terrain to chin-check Flash in 2004's JSA #64.

Rag Doll can exploit any nook or cranny in a given environment, allowing him to hide in plain sight and launch attacks on unsuspecting victims. He may look like a goofy child's toy, but it turns out Rag Doll is actually quite deadly!

The Tape: Flash Ranking: Flash (#143)

What Went Down...

A red & blue streak blazes a trail along a Keystone City dock at dusk. The Flash racing to meet an anonymous police tipster with information about Rag Doll!

Hidden between wooden crates, and obscured by hat and coat, the informant points Flash in the direction of a ship: The Lazy Sue. The speedster leaves with thanks in the blink of an eye -- never noticing the villainous Monocle!

It only takes a few more beats for Flash to have scoured the entire vessel and come up empty -- or so he thinks!..

It soon dawns on The Flash that his old enemy Rag Doll can hide in smaller spaces than any ordinary man! The realization comes with seconds to spare as the folded Rag Doll leaves his hiding place in a ventilation cowl and opens fire!

Flash reacts with super-human speed, blurring out of the line of fire and towards the protruding tube! He returns fire with a knife-edged chop thrown at speeds high enough to cut right through the rusting metal structure!

Rag Doll manages to escape injury and makes a leap for the cargo hold! The hero estimates the plunge at a leg breaking forty feet, but soon remembers the "rubber-jointed freak" won't suffer a scratch from the fall!

To avoid injury himself, Flash swings his hands fast enough to create two focused jets of downforce that glide him safely to the level below.

Before the speedster can begin his search of the hold - he spies a waiting bundle of dynamite amongst the cargo. It explodes -- launching the unprepared hero into the air with a devastating blast!

The Flash crashes back down to the hold with his helmet clanging beside him! The explosion leaves the hero unconscious as Rag Doll stands unscathed over his nemesis, gloating about his powers of resilience in victory!

The Hammer...

It was a plan that worked to perfection: Monocle lures The Flash to the trap - Rag Doll blows it up! Eloquent in its simplicity, and devastatingly effective at scratching one of the major heroes off The Secret Society of Super-Villain's hit list of two worlds!

This was part of the annual crossover between Earth-1's Justice League of America and the Justice Society of Earth-2. Ultra-Humanite is the mastermind, plotting to surgically remove key heroes in the hopes of creating a cosmic imbalance that will destroy his world. If you know anything about the Ultra-Humanite: you know he won't mind relocating!

There are a lot of fun villains in this one that've been slightly forgotten, or just overlooked. A recent spotlight in Hero of the Week got me thinking more about the original comic book Rag Doll, who hasn't featured on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths yet. I figured I'd pull this issue off my desk and take a closer look.

It's a nice quick showcase of what makes Rag Doll work as a functioning high-concept super-villain. He's hiding in the shadows right under the hero's nose, then he strikes with total impunity - unafraid of the shock of an explosion!

It's a good transposing of the old children's dolls that always seem to survive a plane crash or similar human crisis. I'm in favour of updating the design of the character to enhance the creepiness, but there is a charm to such a ridiculous visual. If blowing up Flash wasn't bad enough for you, he robbed a bank with guns blazing in the prior issue. A nice subversion of an innocent image.

Now that we've seen the original Pete Merkel in action, we'll have to find time to get Junior on the books. The 2005 Simone/Eaglesham creation reinvented the concept by cranking up the creepy weirdness, and doubling-down on the body horror of surgically acquired triple-joints. A nice updated, made all the more appreciated by keeping the original in tact. In fact, papa Doll hates his son!

Not such a great showcase for Jay Garrick, who's played a little too absent minded for my taste. All part of moving the three-issue story along with enough gravitas to threaten A-list assemblies from two worlds.

The tradition of the JLA/JSA meet-up essentially starts with 1963's Justice League of America #21. It became a regular staple of the seventies and early eighties, before it kinda became redundant once Crisis on Infinite Earths consolidated all properties in one continuum.

Justice League of America #196 is titled the "Countdown to Crisis". Before there was a Crisis on Infinite Earths, there were crises on multiple Earths.

I've always been of two minds about the idea. It's obviously a lot of fun to have two generations of heroes meet. Nice that the tradition ensures it's going to happen sooner than later. I just kinda prefer that they're all living on the same world. It loses a little bit of the sense of importance, but it also never gets silly as the years go by. It's also nice to have a DCU populated with all these great characters! When Jay Garrick was a recurring part of The Flash's world, that was great! When he was having his own adventures in JSA - even better!

If you want to cross between time and space, you can do it by picking yourself up a collected edition via Amazon! Today's story can be found in its three-issue entirety in Crisis on Multiple Earths Volume 6. If you shop with the link provided, you help support our Secret Earth that hosts The Comic Book Fight Club!

You can find more featured fights and superhero smackdown by diving into the Secret Archive! There you'll find the many Earths of DC, Marvel, and beyond! Be sure to follow links throughout this post to discover more wonders relevant to your favourite topics!

You can also follow Secret Wars on Infinite Earths via Twitter and Facebook for daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Liking and sharing battles is a great way to support the site, so be a pal!

Winner: Rag Doll (w/ Monocle)
#317 (new) Rag Doll
#322 (-179) Flash (Jay Garrick)
#545 (new) Monocle [+1 assist]

DOCTOR FATE versus HAWKMAN

Chapter Three: What Price Vengeance? (DC)
Where: All-Star Squadron #4 When: December 1981
Why: Roy Thomas How: Rich Buckler

The Story So Far...
December 8, 1941: The combined powers of The All-Star Squadron race to the Hawaiian island of Oahu to witness the aftermath of a terrible attack! The decimation of Pearl Harbor shocks their senses, and strengthens America's resolve to answer the call to World War II.

The unprecedented assembly of heroes flights East to meet their attackers head-on, unaware that a conspiring force anticipates their arrival! The Dragon King lies on a small island somewhere between Hawaii and Japan, plotting to manipulate the super-powered All-Stars with methods of science and the super-natural!

What good will the Justice Society and their allies be when their most powerful members become dedicated agents of The Axis Powers?!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Doctor Fate 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Doctor Fate 5 (Professor)
Speed: Hawkman 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Doctor Fate 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Hawkman 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Doctor Fate 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Doctor Fate 31 (Super Powered)

When it comes to super-powers in the DC Universe -- they don't often come much more powerful than Doctor Fate!

As the wearer of the Helmet of Fate; Kent Nelson is in commune with the very matter and energy of the universe! Guided by Nabu and the Lords of Order: he possesses phenomenal magical arsenals and acumen. He is nigh immortal, invulnerable, and capable of manipulating time, space & reality!

Hawkman certainly has his work cut out for him if he's going to beat his JSA team mate! Not that he's any stranger to fighting beyond his weight class!

In Justice League of America #200 we saw Hawkman go up against Superman in a similar scenario. He was outmatched, but when they met again many years later in Superman/Batman #4 -- The Claw of Horus gave him the physical might to knock Superman out with the force of an entire planet!

The Claw won't show up for twenty years after our featured fight, but the Nth metal its made of is a mainstay of Hawkman's arsenal. Originally "Ninth Metal", it allows him to fly, heal wounds, increases his strength and durability, and has even been known to have occult properties. Is that enough to help him?

Hawkman has the minerals to face down just about any foe, but his usual array of medieval weaponry won't mean much against Doctor Fate!

At the time of this battle, the mighty mystic wears his "half helm". This shortened version reduces the power of his magic in exchange for relieving the possessive nature of the Helmet of Fate. Despite this reduction, he remains super-humanly strong and durable!

If Hawkman's to give himself his best shot, he may need to hit his hexed friend hard and fast -- and hope the peculiarities of magic create a loophole that evens the playing field! We saw how that can work when Doctor Fate was unable to intervene against The Demon's Three in Justice League Unlimited #14.

The Dragon King's mind manipulation targets magically inclined heroes more than others, but who knows what that means! Let's find out!

The Tape: Doctor Fate Ranking: Hawkman (#32)

What Went Down...
Together America's greatest super-powers soar the skies as a single force: The All-Star Squadron! Leaving the battered shores of Pearl Harbor they fly across the Pacific Ocean -- unwittingly passing over a small, sinister outpost!

From the seemingly deserted tropical island: The Dragon King activates a machine powered by The Holy Grail, and designed to target the Justice Society's most magic sensitive heroes! The dynamo spews forth undetectable waves of energy that ripple through the All-Stars like a tingling shock of electricity!

Green Lantern is the first to act upon the impulse to turn against America, soon followed by Johnny Thunderbolt! As Hawkman swoops in to intervene with a voice of reason -- Doctor Fate glides in for a surprise attack!

The sudden uppercut connects with Hawkman's unsuspecting jaw -- but his aerial expertise allows the winged hero to recovery quickly!

He repositions himself to be facing his unlikely attacker, while the mad Doctor Fate orders Green Lantern to destroy the flightless heroes among them!

Hawkman has no choice but to pit his spiked mace against the Helmet of Fate!

Hawkman sends the spiked-ball of his chained weapon colliding into Fate's metallic half helm, but it barely stuns him! Though the mystic may have lost his magical mastery -- he remains an unnaturally strong physical opponent!

The sky becomes the scene of an uncanny chase as Doctor Fate relentlessly pursues Hawkman. His words aim to demoralize as he boasts equal speed and superior endurance to the winged hero. Hawkman listens!

His chained mace drags stubbornly against the wind as Hawkman carves a hard and sudden change in direction! It follows as he flies a path directly for Fate -- undeterred by the mind-altered hero's snide boasts of invulnerability!

The moment of collision arrives -- but Doctor Fate has had a change of heart!

Aerial maneuvers had inadvertently taken them beyond the field of The Dragon King's machine! Doctor Fate's mind returns to that of a great hero, no longer impelled to wage war against the Justice Society of America!

The Hammer...

Let the debate rage on: Who would have won had the fight continued?

It certainly seemed as if Doctor Fate's incredible invulnerability put him firmly in command, but Hawkman's never-say-die attitude is legendary! I'm sure most will come down on the side of Fate, but I like to think Hawkman's will still could've found a way. The Doctor certainly looked worse for wear at the end!

This month on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths we're spotlighting some of the heroes and villains featured in Injustice 2! The fighting game sequel is out now for home consoles, offering an eclectic mix of DCU icons in a universe where Superman has become a threat to truth, justice and freedom.

The exciting addition of Doctor Fate was the subject of Hero of the Week back in March, but alas, Hawkman is yet to make an appearance in the DC video game series! A fighting game without one of DC's greatest fighters?! I know!

Hawkgirl took up the slack with a lone playable appearance in 2013's Injustice: Gods Among Us. Better later than never: the sequel introduces a concept called "Premier Skins", which map all new character assets to existing gameplay. The perfect system for delivering both Hawks, should either ever appear again!

Think Professor Zoom using the moves of The Flash, or Hal Jordan's moves as a base to map John Stewart's voice and appearance into the game. An appropriate compromise to include characters who might otherwise be functionally similar in a video game setting. Imperfect, but a net positive.

Even Jay Garrick gets a run in the Premier Skin system! When you think about the tough times the Golden Age heroes have had of late, especially in comics - that's pretty nifty!

There's really no under estimating the simple "cool factor" at work with Golden Age heroes. Doctor Fate and Hawkman really only need to show up to spark an ember of interest. I've never been a big fan of the "half helm" seen in today's feature fight, but you get that full Helmet of Fate out, and it demands attention!

I can't help but think of the cover of Hawkman (Vol. 4) #24. A pretty cool action shot of Hawkman clubbing Doctor Fate - just like our featured fight! It doesn't actually reflect the contents of the issue, but it's the kind of cover that draws your eye. These characters are just so visually thrilling!

Such is the baffling quandary of publishers shuttling their classic characters out of continuity, or trying to disguise them. Tell readers the story exists in a cordoned off bubble and you might alleviate the "completist" anxieties of a few timid "new readers". Once that plays out, all that's achieved is further division of the audience, and a reinforcement of the idea that backstory is a problem.

In my experience; the uninitiated are often drawn to a visually striking character like Hawkman or Doctor Fate, and have a healthy appetite for learning more of 'the bits that matter' in their history. These "new readers" are willing and interested to engage in deep comics backstory, provided its in a no frills, easily digested format. A litany of reboots and reinventions can only discourage.

Good fiction is constructive, and needn't dwell on details that aren't immediately relevant. Our own lives are an example of the ways old relationships and details can be stirred to relevance, but we don't dwell on everything every time we enter into a situation. A good comic tells you what you need to know.

1981's All-Star Squadron roughly had a foot in both camps. I tend to think the division of Earth-1 and Earth-2 was more trouble than its worth, and freezing the characters in the 1940s is a trickier prospect now - another thirty years on from World War II. Not that its impossible. Retro visions like Sandman Mystery Theatre are, in my opinion, evergreen as a genre style. I also think Nazis deserve their place as the perennial bad guys asking for a kicking!

Ultimately, I prefer the consolidated, forward moving approach that made the mid-2000s a great run for JSA and Hawkman. For a while there, Geoff Johns was the master of striking a balance between the immovable qualities of Golden & Silver Age characters, and their intuitive placement in the modern age.

The more the entertainment world tries to forge hastily assembled histories and imitation shared universes -- the more it seems absurd that comics would ever do anything but promote the unique feature of their genuine back catalogue!

Do you think Hawkman and Doctor Fate are obviously awesome? Be sure to follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive Index, to discover even more gems, rants, and superhero smackdown!

Follow along on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! A like, share, or retweet is a great way to support the site and spread the battle cry of The Comic Book Fight Club! You can also use the Amazon link provided to sponsor the site at no extra cost to your purchase!

Note: All-Star Squadron #1-#18 are collected in the Showcase reprint series [pictured right], which are a black and white publication. For Carl Gafford's vibrant colours you'll have to seek out original back issues, or digitally sold equivalents. For buyer satisfaction, always remember to research products before buying!

Winner: Draw (Inconclusive)
#31 (+1) Hawkman
#128 (+18) Doctor Fate (Kent Nelson)

FANTASTIC FOUR versus EGO

Four Against Ego! (Marvel)
Where: Fantastic Four #235 When: October 1981
Why: John Byrne How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
A peaceful day is violently interrupted by sudden tremors rippling across the entire planet! Brilliant scientist Reed Richards quickly deduces an unnatural force is enacting its will upon the Earth from beyond the atmosphere!

Without a second thought the Fantastic Four rocket into space to confront this newest threat! Navigating long, decaying tendrils they discover the horror beyond that shakes their very world to its core: Ego - The Living Planet!

With the roar of a "grinding" world Ego booms his ominous warning: He has followed a trail of dead worlds in search of his enemy. It has brought him to the "third planet" and now he means to destroy it -- and all of its inhabitants!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Ego 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Ego 6 (Genius)
Speed: Human Torch 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Ego 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Mr. Fantastic 6 (Rubber)
Fighting: Invisible Woman 4 (Trained)
Energy: Ego 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Ego 38 (Cosmic)

The Fantastic Four are: Mister Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Human Torch and Thing.

Collectively they're the stars of the World's Greatest Comics Magazine! The first family of Marvel Comics! The beginning of the modern Marvel Universe, and a jewel in the comic book crown! The Fantastic Four have traversed the weirdest frontiers of space and reality -- but can even they overcome an entire planet?!

Ego, The Living Planet is exactly what the name suggests!

Globe given form: Ego is a sentient entity in control of equivalent phenomena we associate with other known astronomical planetary bodies.

Ego can terraform his surface to create a multitude of environments, as well as manipulating the elements that command them, such as electro-magnetic and gravitational pull. Avoiding Ego simply isn't an option once you enter his gravity!

Consider the deadly peril humanity faces from extreme environments found on our own planet: Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, lightning strikes, gas emissions, mudslides, freezing cold, searing heat -- you name it! If you thought climate change was a scary concept, just imagine the world has a mind of its own - and it really is out to get you!

Ego personifies by generating a massive humanoid face on his surface, but also possesses psionic capabilities that allow him direct access to the minds of those who dwell upon him. His consciousness is facilitated by massive internal organs, namely a gigantic brain housed deep beneath his surface.

Like other living things; Ego can defend himself from foreign infection with "Anti-Bodies" that manifest as humanoid creatures. If he uses more energy than his planetary body can sustain, Ego is also capable of absorbing it from sentient life on his surface, or surrounding ambient sources. He can also traverse space thanks to a giant engine attached to his south pole by arch-nemesis: Galactus!

This confluence of planetary powers has been enough to cause nightmares for the likes of Thor, Silver Surfer, Iron Man, Beta Ray Bill, Nova, and more!

The FF are famous for taking on some of the biggest super-heavyweight threats in comic book history! They've told Galactus to go eat worms; turned the tides against Namor and Atlantis; forced Mole Man and his subterranean hordes back underground; and even given Doctor Doom plenty to think hard about!

In Fantastic Four #358, we saw the FF overcome significant cosmic odds when they defeated Paibok the Power Skrull, and a legion of Skrull soldiers! Not quite the combined might of an entire planetary body -- but still a sizeable chunk of an inter-galactic empire who was beaten on their own imperial ship!

Individually, the members of the Fantastic Four are among our highest ranked combatants: Mr. Fantastic and Thing currently round out the Top 10 at numbers 9 and 10. Their comrades aren't far behind with Invisible Woman at a very respectable #12, and the Human Torch at #14!

Mister Fantastic ranks among Marvel's most brilliant minds, and that's always a key asset when the FF take on dangers from outer space! Invisible Woman's force-fields make her an asset against the unknown, keeping distance from volatile elements, and trapping oxygen if needed. Thing's phenomenal durability and strength will no doubt come in handy against Ego. The Human Torch is an ace in the hole against the organic Living Planet.

How do they beat Ego? The variables are a vast many, but the easy answer is always some kind of technical gizmo cooked up by Mr. Fantastic. There's also the remote potentials for cosmic intervention from the FF's allies, such as Uatu The Watcher, who helped them drive Galactus from the Earth.

The odds are arguably against them, but the Fantastic Four have an uncanny knack for defying even the most overwhelming force. Let's quit the guessing game and find out what happened when they faced The Living Planet!

The Tape: Fantastic Four Ranking: Mister Fantastic (#9)

What Went Down...
Invisible Girl is able to deflect the brunt of a devastating force beam suddenly fired from one of Ego's "eyes"! The Living Planet has come to the Milky Way in search of his nemesis Galactus - and now he means to destroy the one planet that escaped The Devourer of Worlds' cosmic consumption!

Some of the awesome energy still manages to smash against the Fantastic Four's vessel! It costs them artificial gravity - as well as their orientation beyond Ego's surface! The FF are going down - and fast!

While The Thing desperately applies his skills as a pilot to level the ship's sinking trajectory; Human Torch escapes in a streaking blaze to scorch Ego's bizarre surface. He's their only hope of creating something approximating a runway!

Their incredible landing brings the Fantastic Four upon Ego's strange land. Over the horizon - a gargantuan feat of engineering: the propulsion engine that allows Ego to travel through space! The strangely familiar tech becomes their target as Mr. Fantastic desperately devises a means to stay Earth's grim fate!

An uncanny psychic blast diverts the foursome from their desperate mission. Human Torch is able to catch his sister and brother-in-law, but the rocky Thing plummets from his sky-cycle like a rock! He's unfazed by the crash-landing, but Ego quickly spawns living Anti-Bodies to swarm and attack!

Thing scatters the Anti-Bodies like skittles with a thrust from his mighty limbs!

Meanwhile, Invisible Girl quickly discovers translucency is meaningless when the very world she walks is her enemy! A quick adjustment in tactics launches her out of reach of the threat thanks to a rising force-field!

The Anti-Bodies crowd around the column-like platform, smashing against its invisible sides. Their clustered proximity allows Mister Fantastic to surround them with his stretchable body - and fling the creatures into outer space!

Before Ego can manifest more defense, the FF scrambled for the gigantic propulsion engine -- an inorganic addition to Ego that will not spawn any more attacks. A perimeter of flame buys them time, but thousands of Anti-Bodies continue to plough into the fire in an effort to reach them!

Meteor-like shards of bone rain upon the foursome as they remove part of the inner workings of the engine. Recognizing Galactus' technology, Mister Fantastic has a plan. Sue Storm's force-field protects them from projectiles, and carries three of the four into a nearby pore that takes them beneath the surface!

Their journey beneath the surface of The Living Planet brings the Fantastic Four to what appears to be a brain!

Reed Richards means to detonate a power pack removed from Ego's engine, but the pressure of the inner chamber is insufficient to be anywhere near the planet's core. Though there emits a "psychic stimulation" -- Mister Fantastic detects a decoy! Human Torch burns it and Ego is heard roaring with anger!

The heat and pressure build as the Fantastic Four journey deeper towards the centre of the planet! Remarkably, Reed Richards's malleable rubber-like body is the first to succumb to the mounting force. More sensitive to the pressure, he is to weak to lead his teammates further - forced to remain behind!

An hour later, the mounting heat and pressure are making it hard for the Invisible Girl to catch her breath. Despite the struggle, she is determined to accompany her allies -- fearful they may have need of her force-fields!

The Thing isn't buying it, though. He and The Human Torch are uniquely suited to handle the heat. Knowing she cannot resist, Thing scoops Invisible Girl into his arms and launches her back toward the recovery of a cooler area!

Before long, even The Human Torch is struggling to think clearly. With the pressure mounting, he has no choice to bid his old friend farewell. The entirety of their mission now literally resting on the shoulders of The Thing!

Even the mighty Thing finds himself struggling as he ventures ever deeper into Ego's planetary core. He wants to stop, but he dare not! So deep beneath the surface, the great hero has no way of knowing how close the Earth is to peril!

Pressing on The Thing is confronted by an image shocking enough to stop him in his tracks even after all he has seen! Before him: the gigantic, moon-sized neural network that is Ego's one true brain!

Without warning, images of the cosmos wash over Ben Grimm. Psychic flashes offering insight into Ego's past!

His travels through space, encounter with Thor, and the brief inhabitance of The Wanderers upon his body's surface. Events that drove The Living Planet mad, and led Thor to stand with Galactus when attaching a propulsion engine to his surface. It was meant to send him to the darkest corners of reality, but instead powers Ego's mad lust for vengeance.

Thing strains to hurl the volatile power cell at Ego's vulnerable brain - but misses! It hardly matters to Ego, however. The close call sends him into a rage, activating his south pole engine to plot a course for Earth's final doom!

Only - the engine is left half-powered. Ego's trajectory becomes an arc, sending him dangerously in the direction of the Sun!

Time spent travelling through deep-space has deprived Ego of much energy. His surface stinks of decay, and in the clutches of solar embrace -- he cannot resist the gravitational pull! The Living Planet is being torn apart!

Trapped deep within Ego's core - Thing's fate is no longer his to control, but all is not lost! The loss of planetary integrity is a blessing in disguise for the hero!

As Ego is torn asunder - Thing is expelled with the stuff of The Living Planet's very being! The incredible forces leave him stunned, but the Fantastic Four have already escaped the planet, and can see their courageous friend!

A final daring flirtation with death sees their rocket arc precisely toward the mayhem. Just close enough to rescue their unconscious friend without being sucked into the carnage of Ego's defeat!

The Hammer...
Aaaaand exhale! For a second there I thought I was about to run out of oxygen! Dare I say it? A space epic worthy of Stan & Jack?

I don't think I'm blazing a trail in rating Fantastic Four #235 a classic issue! It's one of many memorable adventures from John Byrne's storied association with the characters. The kind of story that almost makes me think of Ego as a Fantastic Four villain -- even though he technically belongs to the Thor camp.

If you read this week's Hero of the Week: you already know Ego will be causing trouble for Star-Lord and The Guardians of the Galaxy when Guardians Volume 2 hits theatres, May 5th!

To celebrate the occasion, we're getting the drop on the space action a month early! Battles throughout April will all feature the cosmic exploits of characters starring in the movie -- and plenty who aren't, too!

Case in point: When I heard Ego was going to be bad guy in the movie, I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to break this story out! It's a great representation of what Ego is like in the comics, but it was also a nice opportunity to revisit the erstwhile Fantastic Four.

It's kind of unbelievable to think we're living in a time when the FF aren't part of the Marvel landscape! Sure, Human Torch and Thing are floating around the mish-mash of Avengers, and other degrading brands, but the bona fide "World's Greatest Comics Magazine" hasn't been in print for around two years!

Between dodgy runs in the late 2000s, and total inactivity, it's disheartening to think the joys of Marvel's "First Family" may be lost on a new generation of fans. Particularly as properties like the modern day Guardians of the Galaxy arguably owe a lot of their cosmic comedy, and family dysfunction, to the FF.

Back in The Tape section, we posed the question: Can even the Fantastic Four beat an entire planet? Our answer appears to be: kinda...

Thing was already minted as the beating heart of the Fantastic Four, but I tend to think of the early eighties as a time that really reinforced him as the never-say-die, courage-under-fire hero we all know and love.

In 1982, Thing makes one of his all-time famous final stands against Champion of the Universe in Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7 [see also; Champion vs Thor].

I tend to think of today's feature fight as being a companion, but it's interesting to note that, although Thing completes the trek to Ego's core, and delivers the destructive payload: he doesn't actually succeed in hitting the target!

We like to spend time on The Comic Book Fight Club debating and defining the terms of victory. That's what shapes our world famous character rankings!

It was actually the mere removal of the would-be explosive power pack (from Ego's propulsion unit) that was his ultimate undoing! It meant only half of the unit was firing, and his trajectory arced unevenly into the sun!

That means Mister Fantastic and Thing played the most pivotal role in defeating Ego, but they couldn't have done it without Invisible Woman and Human Torch helping fight back the defenses of The Living Planet. In other words, if you're here for a result, you can count the entire Fantastic Four as shared winners!

It's interesting to ponder how the story may've unfolded if it were written today.

I wouldn't question John Byrne's grasp of the classic Fantastic Four. His story feels appropriately tinged in the hues and sci-fi trappings of early FF adventures, courting those Lee & Kirby comparisons I mentioned earlier.

I do, however, wonder if super-malleable Mister Fantastic would be the first to succumb to the immense pressures inside Ego. One might suspect he could handle the effects better than the rest of his team. Then there's Invisible Woman, who doesn't appear to be using her force-fields to any great advantage. Her steely resolve is undermined by the stresses of heat, but it's a thought.

Oh, and if you're wondering -- don't worry! Ego isn't completely destroyed by the encounter! He was back a few years later to take on Rom and The Spaceknights. I'm sure we'll revisit The Living Planet some time in the future.

If you're missing the Fantastic Four as much as the rest of us, you can always dive into the Secret Archive to go straight to many more battles starring the team! You should also follow links littered throughout this post (or below) to discover more from characters and creators!

Want to read this battle in its entirety for yourself? You can pick it up in collected edition via the Amazon link provided [right]! Doing so helps support the site at no extra cost and ensures the wars remain infinite! You can also follow, like & share daily fight links on Facebook and Twitter!

Winners: Fantastic Four
#9 (--) Mister Fantastic
#10 (--) Thing
#11 (+1) Invisible Woman
#13 (+1) Human Torch (Johnny Storm)
#836 (new) Ego (The Living Planet)

N'GARAI DEMON versus KITTY PRYDE
Demon (Marvel comics)
Where: Uncanny X-Men #143 When: March 1981
Why: Chris Claremont & John Byrne How: John Byrne

The story so far...
It was long ago that the grounds of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters saw the sprouting of a demonic totem connecting to the world of the N'Garai -- a Cairn, the bridging gateway for these demonic creatures to spew forth into our world and wreak havoc.

Storm and her fellow X-Men were able to overcome the N'Garai who attacked them, but months later a N'Garai demon emerges once more on the grounds on Christmas eve, seeking to bring misery to the mutants of the X-Men mutant academy.

Alone in the mansion while the other X-Men spend down time with their loved ones, Kitty Pryde decides to direct her misery toward training in the Danger Room. Her session is interrupted by an alarm alerting her of the intrusion, and her investigation leads her to the greatest workout of her career -- one-on-one battle alone against a N'Garai demon!

Previous Form:
Kitty Pryde (#51): Involved in defeats of Wolverine, Nimrod, Punisher & Mr. Sinister.
N'Garai Demon: The N'Garai have not been featured before in the Infinite Wars.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Kitty Pryde 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Kitty Pryde 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Kitty Pryde 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Kitty Pryde 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Kitty Pryde 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Kitty Pryde (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Kitty Pryde 1 (None)


So, it's around about the right interval to encounter another face-changing Infinite Wars rule that will reinvent the way in which you look at our rankings system. Okay, maybe not, but it's worth noting, none the less.

In the case of non-specific characters representing autonomous entities or groups (like The Hand), we do not recognise individuals. The only statistical impact made by characters like these is if they appear as a group, thus affecting result in the team rankings, or traditionally, by reflection on their opponents.
Exceptions to this rule are represented by The Doom Denouement Decree.

Because he isn't represented as a singular entity, and the chances of revisiting the N'Garai are fairly slim, the stats above only represent Kitty Pryde. These are not indicative of the total dominance of the Shadowcat character in combat.

Quite the contrary could be said of this example.
Kitty Pryde has suffered fairly an ebb and flow in characterization, being expanded as a SHIELD agent trained heavily in martial arts, to returning again to her perpetual inprisonment in pubescence. Because of that constant constraint on the character, I have no choice but to recognise the limitations set upon her by the many writers who have handled her -- to a degree.

As it happens, this particular encounter is quite early in her career, back when she was progressing through the teen years to earn her place on the X-Men. In the same way Jubilee faced a right of passage [Adventures of the X-Men #7], this story represents a turning point in the character.

Never the less, we're getting a little ahead of ourselves.

A N'Garai Demon is nasty stuff, and considering Kitty Pryde's mutant gifts are essentially defensive in nature, it's difficult to mount a logistical argument for her victory in this situation. Her fighting skills, in our opinion, are moderate, although at this stage in her career, yet to be developed.

One would even question her tactical capabilities, although in a more contemporary setting that would be a far less relevant issue. I'm afraid, for all of the Pryde pride, I just can't come up with a reason to tip Shadowcat on the merits of her abilities on paper.

The Math: Non-Applicable (Footsoldier Non-Entity Clause)
The Pick: N'Garai Demon

What went down...
Not wanting to alert the police to a false alarm, Kitty Pryde takes it upon herself to investigate intruder alert, despite protocols put into place by Professor Xavier and the senior X-Men.

Exploring the mansion, she finds a broken skylight in Storm's indoor conservatory where the plants all appear to be dead. Her curiosity aroused by the speed of the plant's decay, Kitty Pryde's suspicions based on goop on the floor are soon realised when she finds herself face to face with the hideous form of a N'Garai demon!

She narrowly avoids it's long, slashing limb, using her phasing abilities to flee through the floor. Unfortunatley for her, the taloned claw of the demon rips effortlessly through the mansion floor, following her into the hall below.

Using her powers of intangibility, Kitty flees through the improbable space of the X-mansion's reinforced walls, but they shred like cardboard before the might of the demon's grasp. His claws, as sharp as adamantium, allow him to make chase regardless of where the young mutant runs.

Hoping to use intelligence in the face of brute strength, Kitty uses evasive tactics designed to fool even the keen senses of Wolverine. She drops through the stairs into storage space, waiting patiently to see if the creature is aware enough to deduce where her disappearing scent could go.

Just as she decides to brave the vacuum and reach for the telephone, the demon appears to give her the fright of her life! With tactical precision it smashes through the door behind her, trapping her in the ultimate sneak attack!

It's claws slash through body and she screams, "but does not die."
Phasing at the last moment, Pryde lives, but is shocked to find herself in pain from the attack. The result leaves her right arm numb and hanging lifelessly, now more an inconvenience than part of her potential arsenal.

Unable to escape injury in her ephemeral state, Pryde heads for the most accessable weapon available to her, the aptly named -- Danger Room!
She punches in the input commands for the most dangerous setting she knows, just as the demon proves it's intelligence, bursting through the reinforced doors of the Danger Room command centre.

The lunging creature pushes her back over the console, through the apparently unbreakable viewing glass. She lands on the training room floor with a thud, leaving herself open to the killing blow prepared by the vile creature.

Ready for a main course of Sprite, the demon finds itself walking into the wile plans of the young mutant, instead, a mouthful of pneumatically launched metal rods!

The demon looks to mount a defense with the Danger Room itself, ripping at the floor to create a sturdy shield. Unwittingly the move interferes with the room's settings, potentially affecting the safety settings. It soon finds out just how much, suffering under roasting fires reminiscent of it's home.

Kitty Pryde realises the mounting danger fingers her, too, and notes that while phasing will protect her from the physical threats of the Danger Room, it will leave her still developing mind fatigued and vulnerable to other attacks.

The room's attack systems go AWOL, unleashing a wide array of cannons, explosives and energy rays!

Kitty Pryde tries to lure the determined demon into the line of fire, where her intangibility would protect her from the full brunt of fatal injury.
She successfully brings it to the centre of the action, but a random energy pattern forcefield wall puts an end to her plans. It's complex design requests great concentration from her, a luxury she does not have.

Narrowly avoiding the demon's wild slashes, Kitty plots an evasive course, again narrowly escaping certain doom at the menacing touch of the demon.

She navigates her way to a more vulnerable area of the wrecked Danger Room, feeling the effects of the draining chase, unsure of the level of injury sustained by her opponent - it's cries, easily born of rage, as much as pain.

Sprite drops through the floor, and stumbles her way toward a monocar that leads to the X-Men's hangar room. She gets barely halfway when the demon, still in hot pursuit, bends the track and forces her car from it's rails.

Making the rest of the trip on foot, the exhausted mutant takes full advantage of her phasing abilities, entering the Blackbird aircraft via shortcut directly through it's base. Inside, she prods at the controls which she had relcutantly received training for. Struggling to recall her training under such intense pressure, it's at the very last minute that she finds the means of ignition!

With no time to spare, the demon lurks with menace behind the ship, walking directly into the blast of flame produced by the immensly powerful turbines that power the incredible craft! Having been improperly started, the stress destroys the craft, ending the offensive-defensive maneuver.

Emerging from the plane, Kitty searches for the remains of the N'Garai, only to find herself staring down a clawed hand reaching from the resulting flames!
Lucky for her, it is the last exertion of energy, before the creatures burns to nothing.

The hammer...
The winner, by Blackbird infernal toasting - Kitty "Sprite" Pryde!
She's able to have herself a relaxing shower, before greeting her returning teammates, who bring with them her parents! Though a little stunned by the state of her attic plants, and the rest of the room, Storm is very proud of the young student.

And with that, we conclude our look at young women coping with invasions of the X-Mansion. I don't know if there's anything to really conclude from this, but it's certainly been an interesting theme to pursue.

You might wonder exactly what it is about these damsels in genetic distress, who seem find themselves regular targets of home invasion. If you've just joined us, you might want to go back and revisit the Jubilee/Sabretooth [Adventures of the X-Men #7] and Rogue/Sinister [Ultimate X-Men #49] entries, where we featured following infiltrations of the X-Mansion.

In the case of the Jubilee entry, if you have keen senses like the lupine Wolverine, you can literally smell the Claremont and Byrne all over Macchio's script. It's a none too subtle homage that builds on story from the cartoon series, featuring similar points of entry for the villains (Storm's skylight), a Danger Room trump card, and a last minute claw-scare, reaching from the final flaming frame of the villain's defeat.

While lacking the direct references, Brian Vaughan's Ultimate X-Men story comes full circle to reaffirm the validity of the concept, which in truth, has probably been seen even before examples like Juggernaut storming the mansion in the earliest adventures of the original team. Home invasion is by no means a new invention of the mutant menace.

Certainly, when dealing with children of any age or gender, a major milestone is the decision of leaving them home alone. It's no small wonder that the X-Men, built on gifted youngsters, have revisited this theme time and time again. It's a logical way of really bringing the test of readiness to the students, and is a dramatic device infinitely relatable to both those who have experienced such scares, and those who have only imagined it.

For female characters, it is perhaps an even greater proof of worth.
These are characters almost universally characterized as weak and timid through their formative years, events such as these providing the opportunity to force the characters to make their stand in a believable transition. The homeground advantage is the crutch which facilitates the next step of combative credibility.

I like this story. I like the simplicity of it's design, and the effectiveness with which it employs a specific spin on the technique of using a character's credibility to put another character over. I think this is deserved of it's reverence in the history of Uncanny X-Men stories.

It was actually among the very first X-Men stories I was exposed to.
Far more interested in the brightly coloured escapades of Spider-man, Batman, Superman or the Fantastic Four, this issue always stood out as an abberation.

It didn't make an X-fan out of me. Actually, I was never really much of an X-Men fan until the nineties and the explosion surrounding the cartoon and reinvention of the branding. Even so, despite all the things working against it, like the distinct lack of more prominent characters, this story managed to work it's way into my young psyche. This single, done-in-one, Kitty Pryde, "Sprite" story.

Of course, just to spoil the emphasis of that point, I have little to no interest in the Kitty Pryde character today, and could not feature the character without slipping in a note of distain for the furor surrounding Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men. A title so thoroughly dependent on this era of Claremont/Byrne comics, that it reads thoroughly redundant, with that extra special slice of wanting to be too cute for it's own good, that only Whedon can bring.

Nominations of Astonishing remains the acid test for the corrupted credibility of the Eisner awards. You maniacs. Damn you. It was Earth.

It's not all negative though. Whedon deserves credit for at least recognising what works about the characters, and pushing the positive presence of Kitty Pryde. I don't know if he quite does it in the best way, putting a spin on the character distinct from Buffy, the character he's famous for, but still a little bit... young for my liking. It has been twenty-five years since this tale, afterall.

With that bombshell, I think it's just about closing time!
I am, as always, quite exhausted, but enjoying continuing working on new projects. If you haven't already bought yourself a copy of The Kirby Martin Inquest, you should dart over to Nite Lite Theatre where you can get yourself an affordable copy on online order! Rich L, along with a couple of other sites, will hopefully be carrying some reviews of the book very soon.

Speaking of plugs, it is Friday, which means it's the chance for all of us to wave our flags in the name of Bahlactus! He was pretty slack last week, forgetting to include our Christmas sweetening feature [Powerman & Iron Fist #66]
Let's hope his cosmic awareness is on the game this week, ready to devour the Infinite Wars as featured from the secret earth! electricalgoldfish was ready, and we have to throw thanks out to her! Cheers!

Now, I have to go rid myself of this damned demon ripping up my architecture, and get some sleep before coming back for more Infinite Wars!

NOTE (Nov 29, 2007): The purchasing public should be informed that Marvel Essentials collect black and white versions of reprinted materials. Though this issue is contained within, it will appear different to that which is featured here. Consider yourself informed!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5
[A classic Claremont and Byrne X-tale of single issued proportions! A ham like me could miss the presence of Colossus and Wolverine, but it's undeniably one of the great tales. Newbies would do well to check themselves for a lesson!]

GHOST RIDER versus THE AVENGERS
Three Angels Fallen! (Marvel comics)
Where: Avengers #214 When: December 1981
Why: Jim Shooter How: Bob Hall

The story so far...
Johnny Blaze is a man both cursed and privileged with the power to become a demonic spirit of vengeance called the Ghost Rider. As Ghost Rider his whim is unpredictable, and it's this volatile nature that has led him into isolation as a wandering soul without a home.

When he spots billionaire playboy Warren Worthington III speeding through the desert, the Ghost Rider takes over and challenges his former Champions teammate to a race which sees the winged mutant hospitalized with severe injury.

The Avengers are alerted of the demon's warpath, and thus they arrive in the desert area of Alakali Flats to investigate and bring the Ghost Rider to justice.
But the Ghost Rider is busy looking for Warren Worthington, and he intends to take anyone who would protect him to justice. Will the Avengers find him in time, or will he find them?!...

Previous Form:
Ghost Rider (#55): Ghost Rider earned his first victory teaming with Spidey against The Trapster.
Capain America (#6): Cap has victories against characters like MODOK, Baron Zemo, Bane, Wolverine & The Punisher.
Thor (#19): Recently suffered a defeat by way of the Symbiote and Avengers.
Iron Man (#4): Iron Man has victories over Diablo, Hulk, Captain America & She-Hulk.
The Avengers [#2]: The Avengers recently beat the Venom symbiote and She-Hulk.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Thor 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Tigra 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Thor 6 (Generator)
Agility: Tigra 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)

I think I've always had a tendency to underestimate the Ghost Rider's abilities, perhaps because of my slant toward the street bound Dan Ketch host of the nineties. I think around this period of the seventies and eighties Ghost Rider was probably a more hopeful A-lister in waiting, and packed the power to match it.

His powers are certainly versatile, but then you have to take a look at the assemblage of heroes who are representing the Avengers on this occasion; Captain America, Thor, Iron Man and Tigra.

Thor and Iron Man are two heavy hitters here, and certainly each has a pretty hefty statistical advantage over Ghost Rider. As the tape shows, they outweigh him in terms of brute strength, and the bredth of their energy related powers dwarf even Ghost Rider's hellflame.

Iron Man as a man in machine is more vulnerable, particularly to the vengeful aspects of the character. Lord knows by now Tony Stark has enough sins to bury him, if Ghost Rider were to turn his penance stare on him today.

Thor, as a God, is presumably less vulnerable to Ghost Rider's attacks, assuming there would even be things to be capitalized on like the weighing guilt of sins.
Even if the Rider were able to roll through the more vulnerable tagerts of Captain America and Tigra, it may come down to Thor, if not the double team of Thor and Iron Man. Two guys who've gone head to head with the Hulk.

The Math: Avengers (Total) Ghost Rider (Average)
The Pick: The Avengers

What went down...
The menace of the hero presents itself long before the Civil War as a child dangles helplessly from a watertower dressed in a red cape in imitation of the mighty Thor! Fortunately Johnny Blaze is on the scene and gives in to the fantastic power of the Ghost Rider in order to save him!

Unfortunately... the indepedent will of the Ghost Rider demon isn't terribly interested in saving the foolish child, leaving the job to the red and gold visage of Iron Man, who happens to show on the scene just in the nick of time!
[Planting the seeds for the need for registration? I DIGRESS! -- Muckraking Mike]
Miles away on a freeway, a motorcycle riding Captain America (with Tigra entow) happens upon the Ghost Rider's flaming hellcycle!
Ghost Rider employs his daredevil riding skills to navigate the narrow gap between a semi-trailer and on-coming traffic, as he dares the Captain to pursue.

Tigra and he follow the Rider into to the desert, but find themselves facing rock in a box canyon as Ghost Rider defies gravity, driving vertically up the cliff face.
The two avengers spill onto the dirt, bailing from the crashing cycle, leaping out of the pan into the hellfire. They suffer the hellish freeze of Ghost Rider's vengeful burn.

The action of the flames alerts Iron Mans' sensors, and he sweeps in to investigate. The Ghost Rider is none too pleased to suffer another fool. He surfs his speeding hellcycle and uses it to launch himself into the air at the golden Avenger.

Though shielded from principle attack, Tony Stark does not have the foresight to seal the gaps on his helmet, allowing him to succum to the unrelenting fire of Ghost Rider's fury.

He plummets to the ground as Thor arrives on the scene.

Thor talks a big game and Ghost Rider isn't buying into it, impatiently spraying the Norse god of thunder with fire from his eyes. The magical pyre does little to the hull of the mighty Thor of Asgard, who attacks in kind with the tossing of his worthy hammer -- Mjolnir!

Ghost Rider, aware of the threat, leaps atop his hellcycle and flees from the airborne hammer. As he builds momentum he finds himself putting distance between he and the hammer, until it appears to reach the apex of it's flight.

As the enchanted hammer turns to reach he summon of it's possessor, the cunning demon snatches the handle and allows himself and his cycle to be dragged behind!

Unable to control the hammer himself, he pops his wheel, riding the flaming bike up into the face of the waiting Thor. The two heroes spill into the air, but Ghost Rider is the one nimble enough to land in stride on his cycle, leaving the thunder god to suffer his bruises.

The Avengers regroup from the attack as Ghost Rider rides into the desert.
Captain America inspires the troops, lending support to Tigra and Iron Man, each fearful of the Rider's touch, having felt first hand the effects of his flames.

The team cuts the spirit of vengeance off at the pass, and Iron Man springs the attack with an uncompromising repulsor ray to the face that dismounts the demon from his hellish vehicle.

Shaken but not stirred, Ghost Rider hurls flame at the fearful Tigra, but Captain America is ready, anticipating the attack to the weakest link!
He defends the feline heroine, and collides with the fiend in a thunderous exchange!

Furious, Ghost Rider pursues the attack, but an unlikely individual steps into the battlefield. Bandaged and in a sling, Warren Worthington approaches his former teammate from the short-lived Champions.

He supposes that the Ghost Rider's lust for vengeance becomes lest caring as Johnny Blaze finds himself increasingly depressed and dissatisfied with his life.
The Angel reaches out to the demon, and pleads for the courage of the man inside to reemerge and quell the demon's rage.

And once again, Johnny Blaze returns.

The hammer...
Despite the peaceful resolution, I'm going to give this one to Ghost Rider based on points. He pretty well manhandled each member of the Avengers, including Thor -- a god!
The assist goes to Angel too, for his participation in ending the fray.

Well, if you've been with us at the time on the site you'll know I've been unwell, and then blogspot ate my Wednesday post.
I'm going to endeavor to rewrite the exciting entry from What If Wednesday, but I'm still a bit under the weather, so if it doesn't get done before the Punch-Up, my sincerest apologies.

I have to admit to mixed feelings about this particular issue. It's almost the perfect action comic for this site, and yet, it lacks the charm of some of the other unauspicious superhero fights we've had previously.

I guess part of what's awful about it is that it centers around highlighting the fact that the Angel is utterly hopeless when it comes to a fight.

When writers were handing out secondary mutations in the X-Men books, how this guy got healing blood over some sort of offensive attack completely escapes me. I guess it's kinda fitting.
Put aside any clever Angel/pacifist-martyr connections for a moment, and just think about the fact that his body is continuing to go with what it knows.

The worse he gets injured, the more the team around him benefits!
'Wow, open up an artery Warren! The Beast just got a concussion! If we heal him, we might still stand a chance!'
Way to send a positive message to the kids, guys.

Jokes aside, this is one of the few encounters I've actually had with Jim Shooter as a writer. Somehow, despite his alleged reign of terror, I've run afoul the guy's writing very rarely. It's safe to say you would believe he started writing as a kid... I joke, I joke!

It's a simple comic from a simpler time, and it shouldn't be judged too harsh.
This was a time when Ghost Rider was hopping around the place like a pseudo-Wolverine. A nomadic character without a home, who was popular, and was inherently capable of being thrown into a fight with just about anyone!

In the seventies and eighties, Ghost Rider made even Namor look level-headed!

This book comes amidst the infamous story about the divorce of Hank Pym and his wife, the Wasp, after he assaulted her.
I've never actually read the story in any kind of complete capacity, and as hokey and out of place as it seems in a universe of fisticuffs, I still think it's fairly regarded as a key moment in Avengers history.

So, with something that heavy going on, maybe it was a good time for an issue like this. Maybe contemporary comics could benefit from the odd issue like this!

Or not...

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 3.5