SUPERMAN versus DEATHSTROKE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Tape: Superman Ranking: Superman (#5)

What Went Down...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Hammer...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DOCTOR NEMESIS versus GIANT-MAN

Rest and Sweet Glory Part 2: The Bootstrap Model (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Comics Presents #114 When: October 1992 Why: Dwayne McDuffie How: Ron Wilson

The Story So Far...
Bill Foster's experience working with Hank Pym granted him incredible powers that come with exposure to Pym Particles! The wonders of increasing and reducing his size have made him the newest Giant-Man -- but it's his scientific prowess that Dr. Edwin Hawkins wants!

Recruited at the recommendation of Mister Fantastic: Bill Foster is embarking on a new journey working for Stane International. His knowledge of Pym Particles and biochemistry can help Hawkins build a working quantum mechanical model that could revolutionize physics!

Just one problem! Project Head Dr. Michael Stockton isn't all he appears to be, and Stane International is interested in more profitable markets for their super-science. Recovering from a prototype malfunction - Giant-Man finds the truth!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Draw 5 (Professor)
Speed: Draw 2 (Average)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Giant-Man 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Dr. Nemesis 2 (Arsenal)
Total: Draw 22 (Champion)

A couple of weeks ago we had the long & short of it, but today it's big & tall all the way! We're super-sizin' our fightin' fun with two challengers whom, by any other name, would smell as sweet! Info's in the introductions...

Doctor Nemesis is scientist Dr. Michael Stockton, whose field of research is the subatomic. He was recruited by Advanced Idea Mechanics, becoming a self-styled nemesis to Hank Pym and the Wasp! By stealing Pym's unique particle technology, Stockton acquired similar skills of shrinking and enlarging.

This Doctor Nemesis is not to be confused with James Bradley: A World War II-era vigilante, and Nazi collaborator turned hunter, whose unique biochemistry saw him associate with Beast and the X-Men into the modern age. The potential for confusion doesn't end there, though...

Stockton had multiple run-ins with Hank Pym as Ant-Man, but today's battle with Giant-Man is not a rematch in his oversized alter-ego!

At this time: Dr. Bill Foster had assumed the mantle of Giant-Man. He adopted the moniker at the suggestion of his good friend and Project Pegasus colleague - Thing! He had previously adventured as the costumed Black Goliath.

Foster worked alongside Hank Pym as a biochemist at Stark International. He was later responsible for duplicating the Pym Particles formula and removing it of harmful side effects. This was how he acquired his powers, which most typically involve increasing his size to goliath proportions.

Goliath grappled with Pym (as Yellow Jacket) during the Avengers Civil War between registered and anti-registration heroes [Civil War #3]. Goliath and the Secret Avengers were ultimately undone by Iron Man, and a bio-mechanical clone of Thor dubbed Ragnarok. Ragnarok killed Goliath in Civil War #4.

Dying is neither here, nor there. Bill Foster's alive and ready to take on Doctor Nemesis in today's story! As an experienced adventurer - he's got a compelling case for beating him, too! Giant-Man's gone toe-to-toe with the Hulk! The only snag could be Nemesis' ability to warp the science of size-manipulation for devious ends -- combined with the element of surprise!

These two are incredibly evenly matched! Let's see who takes the win!

The Tape: Draw Ranking: Giant-Man (#586)

What Went Down...
Growing to gigantic proportions: "Giant-Man" Bill Foster intimidates his way through his employer's restricted access doors. Inside awaits a hi-tech device -- quickly identified by his colleague, Dr. Edwin Hawkins, as a warhead!

The shock that Hawkins' research has been utilized for military application is quickly interrupted by the arrival of Stane International security, led by project head Dr. Stockton. The revelation of international arms dealing provokes action!

The super-sized super-hero rips a sheet of metal from the lab floor and wraps it around a scrambling, armed security team!

Giant-Man challenges other security forces to join the fight, but instead finds another opponent revealing himself! Dr. Stockton removes his lab coat and dons the guise of the notorious Doctor Nemesis!

Foster knows his enemy thanks to Hank Pym, but not the new developments he's made thanks to the search of Dr. Hawkins! Nemesis plucks a button from his lab coat and demonstrates the manipulation of weight but not size!

The tiny button strikes Giant-Man in the stomach with unexpected force! He doubles over, dropping to his knees as Nemesis postulates the button must've weighed a focused forty pounds by the time it hit its target!

Embarrassed by the simplicity of the attack, Giant-Man recovers to his feet - getting even bigger to tower ominously over the bad Doctor! A body-sized fist collides with Nemesis for an equalizer!

Giant-Man follows instantly with a crushing hammer fist to finish the job!

The battle may be won, but the war with Stane International is just beginning! A shadow casts over Giant-Man as he contemplates calling the Avengers, signaling the arrival of another foe -- the gargantuan Goliath!

The Hammer...
A short story delivers a big winner: Giant-Man claims victory!

We're back in Marvel Comics Presents territory, exploring Part 2 of a six-part adventure starring Bill Foster! As covered in The Tape section [above], you may know Bill Foster better as "Goliath".

Foster debuted as the in-fashion "Black Goliath" in 1975, back referencing a character first seen in Avengers #32 (in 1966). He's part of a tangled web of monikers: one of three heroes to have gone by Giant-Man -- and a small handful of heroes and villains who've answered to Goliath.

If I had to pick one Goliath to rule them all - it would be Bill Foster - but to make matters a little more complicated, he's under attack from another well known Goliath at the end of today's featured chapter.

Erik Josten towers as Doctor Nemesis' extra muscle, but looms largest in Marvel Comics lore as the altruistic "Atlas". That was an identity he grew into, having adopted it as one of Baron Zemo's insidious Thunderbolts: villains pretending to be heroes while capitalizing on the Heroes Reborn disappearance of the Avengers and Fantastic Four. [A long story that started in Incredible Hulk #449 if you're really interested!]

I'm sure at some point we'll get around to checking out Foster v Josten, if only for its curiosity factor!

A little bit like Wasp's adventure in Marvel Super-Heroes #3, these Bill Foster asides are some of the fun curiosities you got from Marvel's anthology offerings in the early nineties. Hidden gems buried beneath usual MCP cover star Wolverine, and at this time, Ghost Rider and Iron Fist.

If you feel like you've seen a different cover for Marvel Comics Presents #114 - you aren't mistaken. The series was running with a flip-book gimmick around this time, so there's another cover on the other side. I guess it was somebody's idea for pushing dual lead stories, and it's kind of fun as an artefact, but it's also a needless complication on the racks, and when reading.

"Rest and Sweet Glory" (the title of the Giant-Man serial) doesn't seem like it was ever intended for elsewhere, as is sometimes the case with these anthology series. It doesn't have the heft of a new series pilot, or ambitions of Dwayne McDuffie's introduction to Damage Control in Marvel Comics Presents #19.

It's actually kind of the perfect secondary story for a series like Marvel Comics Presents. A fun episode with a super-hero who might not otherwise be in the spotlight, but is part of the wide, wonderful Marvel Universe.

In this case, the story serves a purpose of helping establish the new identity of Giant-Man. A security guard even gets a helpful correction when he refers to him as Black Goliath -- a nice acknowledgment of his established history, and meta-reference for readers who might be making a similar adjustment.

The shift to Giant-Man wasn't the right fit given its iconic association with Hank Pym, but it probably seemed like a good idea, at the time. It's a classic Marvel moniker that somebody might as well have been using. Pym had been doing his own thing in West Coast Avengers and didn't seem likely to go back. Thirty years into the Marvel saga, it was easy to be naïve about a thing like that.

The Tarantino fueled retro-appeal of haphazardly throwing "Black" in front of an African-American character's name wasn't there yet. I don't know the origins of the practice, but it's always seemed weird. "Black Goliath" probably needed a nineties update and just Goliath had those villain ties. In the end, it turned out to be a much better choice. "Black" or not, Goliath was a well earned name.

Goliath is also a name you'll now have heard if you saw Ant-Man and The Wasp in theatres! Laurence Fishburne brings a maturing Bill Foster to the screen. Sadly, he doesn't perform any feats as Goliath -- which is exactly why we had to go rummage in the comics for that kind of real shared universe fun!

If you'd like to find more curios and classics, you can find every featured fight index by publisher, series, and issue in the Secret Archive! Follow along on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day -- or do it the old fashioned way, and steer your own destiny by following links to characters and series throughout this post! You never know when there'll be a follow-up! Tell your friends while you're at it, too!

Winner: Giant-Man
#357 (+229) Giant-Man (Bill Foster)
#853 (new) Doctor Nemesis (Michael Stockton)

CAPTAIN MARVEL versus SUPERMAN

Living Daylights (DC)
Where: Action Comics Annual #4 When: 1992
Why: Dan Vado How: Chris Wozniak

The Story So Far...
The shadow of rage and vengeance is threatening to eclipse a world besieged by Eclipso! The ancient demon has been returned upon the world, exploiting the darkness within mortal souls to possess an ever growing army of eclipsed soldiers!

The situation grows increasingly desperate as Earth's greatest defenders fall under Eclipso's control. What's left of the Justice League of America must work with Professor Emil Hamilton and Lex Luthor to devise a means of combatting Eclipso's plague-like influence!

Desperate to buy the heroes time needed to enact a technological light trap; Superman volunteers himself in exchange for the souls Eclipso has hoarded from a small fishing village. Becoming a vessel for Eclipso himself -- even Superman is unaware of the League's ace in the hole: The Power of Shazam!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Captain Marvel 5 (Professor)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speeds)
Stamina: Superman 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Superman 5 (Lasers)
Total: Superman 33 (Super)

They really ought to be the best of friends, but when one serves with the Justice League - the other often isn't required. They're two of the toughest heroes in the cabinet, possessing peak power capable of knocking planets off their axis!

The key differences that separate their basic similarity helps make this one of the most compelling super-heavyweight showdowns in comics. It also doesn't hurt that they battled it out on the newsstands during the Golden Age, and even went head-to-head in the courtrooms of the 1950s!

Captain Marvel is Earth's mightiest mortal, endowed with a plethora of powers supplied by a pantheon of inspirations! By speaking the wizard Shazam's name, good young soul Billy Batson summons an acronym of abilities to his place:

Captain Marvel possesses the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed of Mercury! Together these sources spell the magic word: SHAZAM!

Superman was sent to Earth as an infant, escaping the destruction of his home world, Krypton, aboard a lonely rocket ship. Crash landing in Kansas, baby Kal-El was adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent. On their farm he learned to use the abilities gifted by Earth's yellow sun for the betterment of mankind.

Superman possesses super-human strength, stamina & endurance, speed, flight, and heat vision! Despite these amazing abilities; Superman can be stripped of his awesome powers by exposure to the mineral Kryptonite. These irradiated remnants of his destroyed planet - or close simulations - come with a variety of side effects. It remains Superman's best known and deadliest weakness!

Does he also have an innate weakness to magic? Around these parts we say - no.

Superman's abilities naturally leverage advantages over the material world. Phenomena deemed "magic" exists to subvert established understandings of material reality and causality. Superman has no natural defense against this type of magic -- but he also isn't uniquely vulnerable to it.

Captain Marvel's strength may be supplied by magic, but it should be debated that it has no unique effect on Superman. It isn't spellbound strength designed to specifically be greater than any others'. It's merely an infusion of incredible might unto Captain Marvel -- strength akin to Hercules, and power like Zeus! Speaking of...

In Kingdom Come #4 we saw how Shazam's magic lightning bolt could be weaponized in combat. Instead of receiving its transformative effects, Captain Marvel can narrowly avoid it at high-speed - directing it against an opponent. This tactic was enough to give him an advantage over Superman, at least until Superman used super-speed to turn the tables, and silence Billy Batson.

In today's featured fight Superman will be possessed by the wicked entity known as Eclipso. An Eclipsed Superman will fight Captain Marvel again a decade later in Superman #216. The lightning ambush had a role to play in that later struggle, but it was the intervention of The Spectre that secured victory.

Captain Marvel also relied on a tag team partnership with Hawkman to resolve his stalemate against Superman in Superman/Batman #4! Our records show this as a victory to Captain Marvel, but it's an asterisk where determining the winner of this classic rivalry is concerned.

Personally, I just have such a soft spot for Captain Marvel. I always go into the rivalry viewing him as a slight underdog determined to win. Will that be the case today? Eclipso's malice will add a significant twist to Superman's attacks, but it also means a less experienced hand, and a new spectrum for vulnerability: light!

Captain Marvel comes into the fight with the element of surprise. Let's find out if that's enough to secure a victory over his compromised legendary rival!

History: Captain Marvel (1-0-2)
The Tape: Superman Ranking: Superman (#5)

What Went Down...
Steered by the malice of Eclipso; The Man of Steel looms menacingly over Fire, preparing to finish her off with intense beams of Kryptonian heat vision!

Suddenly -- an unseen force strikes like lightning! With the swiftness of Mercury; Captain Marvel collects the unsuspecting Eclipso Superman - rocketing him through a surrounding wood to a slamming halt in the dirt!

Apparently unaware of Eclipso's possession, Captain Marvel wonders what's gotten in to his usually heroic contemporary.

The compromised Man of Steel replies by leaping from the dirt to uproot a mighty wood -- turning it into a giant bat with a single swing at the mighty Marvel!

Eclipso Superman immediately closes the space between them, following with a devastating left cross to the Captain's chin! The big red cheese absorbs the blow, firing back with his own punch that sends Superman hurtling away!

The villainous entity is thrilled by the prospect of facing an opponent worthy of Superman's strength, but Captain Marvel is reluctant to cause him harm.

Earth's mightiest mortal makes peace with his predicament, flying at Superman like a big red battering ram! The awesome impact launches Superman careening across the small town conquered by Eclipso - sending him into nearby water.

Remorse overwhelms Captain Marvel as he skims the water, failing to find an emerging Superman. The villain's gambit pays off. He explodes from the liquid veil directly beneath - catching Marvel unprepared with a flying uppercut!

This time it's Captain Marvel's turn to get wet! He lands in another section of water, but Eclipso Superman is immediately upon him! A bicep of steel wraps around Marvel's throat, tightening to choke the air from his body!

Cap desperately pushes the fight back up to the surface - breaking for air. Now hovering above the water, Marvel breaks Superman's chokehold and delivers a point blank punch direct to the face!

The mighty Marvel catches up with Superman back on land. The docks have provided Eclipso's grounded vessel with plenty of weapons. He hoists a massive part of the pier above his head and hurls it at the apologetic big red cheese!

In an effort to dispel the misunderstanding that he's still Superman - Eclipso quickly catches Captain Marvel by the throat and slams his hammering fist onto the top of the mighty mortal's skull!

The vicious assault convinces Marvel of his mistake. He swats Eclipso Superman's hand from his throat, and sends him involuntarily airborne with another all mighty punch to the jaw!

This time the Man of Eclipsed Steel's trajectory takes him into a nearby silo that immediately explodes!

Just when Marvel thinks he's finally slowed his rival down - a flaming fist tugs at his collar and sends him flying with an epic, full swing haymaker!

The power of Zeus ensures the landing doesn't destroy Captain Marvel - but it's hard luck for the tanker his body cut through!

Doused in leaking gasoline - he can do nothing but dread the burst of igniting heat vision that causes the tanker to explode!

Marvel lets out a roar as his body is engulfed in flames! Fortunately, he soon recovers - standing across the burning battlefield to face-off with Eclipso again!

The two super heavyweights collide! Eclipso wants the mighty mortal's death - but there's no quit in the big red cheese! He swings the back of his right fist across Superman's face! Eclipso signs his work - firing back with his own fist!

The vicious counter-strike sends Captain Marvel hurtling into a construction site across town! His landing destroys a large crane, but still he refuses to stop.

The Marvel hoists the massive machine above his head and greets Eclipso Superman by hurling it at him!

Eclipso attempts to reduce the machine to slag with a blast of heat vision, but it doesn't stop the mangled metal's trajectory toward him!

They head for the sky, but Captain Marvel follows the shrapnel with a devastating right hand that forces Superman earthbound! His impact causes the balanced house of girders to come crashing down upon him, as well!

Again, Captain Marvel makes the mistake of believing the fight is finally over.

Again, the Eclipsed Superman rises from the rubble. Only this time he rises to a glimmering of hope from high atop an overlooking mountain...

The light signals the activation of a solar trap devised to wash away the taint of Eclipso with a cleansing light! The untested device was designed by the brilliant Professor Emil Hamilton and Lex Luthor - but its demand for power is too great!

Marvel locks Superman in a full nelson and points him towards the flickering light. Eclipso cannot escape the hold, but he may not have to. The failing solar trap returns the darkness of night, much to Captain Marvel's dismay!

Buoyed by escaping a near-miss, Eclipso frees himself with a mighty flexing of Superman's muscles - and a thrust of his elbow! He topples Earth's mightiest mortal anew, looming over him with designs for a killing blow!

Another flicker of the solar trap curbs Eclipso's murderous intent. Unwilling to risk losing control of Superman's power, he opts instead to fight another day. He leaves a bruised and battered Captain Marvel to contemplate his fortunes.

The Hammer...
All in all it was a fairly straight forward slugfest, but boy! There was plenty to recap! It probably deserves its place as one of the less celebrated fights between Superman and Captain Marvel, but it has its sneaky moments...

The over-sized Action Comics Annual #4 can roughly be divided into two main fights. The other half is a battle between Superman and a ragtag JLA trio, who will help him combat Doomsday later the same year [see; Superman #74].

The issue generally suffers from inconsistent artwork throughout, but the moments involving Captain Marvel produce some of the best looking pages of the issue. That panel late in the fight, when the two are flying straight at each other, has a particularly well rendered Captain Marvel! I think you'll know the one.

Chris Wozniak is penciller, but there's a small army of inkers contributing: Karl Altstaetter, Trevor Scott, Karl Kesel, and Steve Mitchell are all credited.

If you've ever wondered how much an inker can affect an artists work, this is a pretty good study. There's considerable variance from page to page. Even the character models vary a surprising amount.

I can't confidently identify which inker contributed to which pages, and I'm not sure I'd want to judge too harshly. I imagine the Eclipso: Darkness Within event -- featured in various DC Annuals in '92 -- threw a lot of extra work into the mix. Deadlines probably had an influence on a lot of what we see [in this issue].

As a matter of quality and personal taste: I obviously prefer the smooth, simply rendered panels containing Captain Marvel.

It seems like those images show a genuine affection for the classic version of the character, who'd been slightly let down by his post-Crisis integration into the DC Universe through Shazam: The New Beginning, Legends, and Justice League.

This appearance may be one of the earliest indications of walking the character back from contemporary trappings for a more deliberate, classically tinged, slightly anachronistic depiction. Jerry Ordway kept that ball rolling a few years later with a strong new vision in graphic novel format, in '94, which in turn launched the Power of Shazam on-going series, in '95.

The dueling styles of Action Comics Annual #4 remind me of the growing pains DC Comics seemed to be going through in the early nineties.

The considered cool of DC's post-Crisis relaunch seemed to prolapse into pretty slapdash reactions to the rise of Image, more nasty revamps, and of course self-flagellating stunts informed by Death of Superman. They navigated their way back to a pretty strong 2000s, but the identity crisis that gave way to some real trash  in the 90s feels all too familiar again in the 2010s.

Eclipso: The Darkness Within clearly left an impression on someone - and not just my friend who was quite enamored with Eclipso's wanton decimation of second-tier characters, and the gimmick of a "real gem" stuck on covers.

Revamping the villain as a high-concept precursor of The Spectre made for some memorable return appearances, including the better remembered Eclipso Superman rematch of 2005 [see; Superman #216]. Geoff Johns mined some lower stakes fun from the possession angle in the pages of JSA, as well.

I've found myself with a curious taste for Eclipso, so we may just find our way back to the villain sometime in the near future. For now, we record another draw in the classic rivalry between Superman and Captain Marvel!

[Note: Eclipso Superman may've been trending toward the upper-hand, but he left the fight to avoid defeat. Captain Marvel may be worse for wear, but he's still trucking. The record will show that this result is an inconclusive draw.]

If you'd like to find more from any of these characters, be sure to follow links throughout this post, or in the labels listed below. You can also dive into the Secret Archive for featured fights index by publisher, series, and issue number.

You can also follow Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! A like, share or retweet is a nice way to support the site and bring the fight to your friends! Shazam!

Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#5 (--) Superman
#112 (--) Captain Marvel
#534 (+40) Eclipso

LUKE CAGE versus THE UNTOUCHABLES

Bad Debts (Marvel)
Where: Cage #3 When: June 1992
Why: Marc McLaurin How: Dwayne Turner

The Story So Far...
Having been wrongly accused of the murder of his best friend Iron Fist: Luke Cage is officially exonerated when the authentic article reemerges alive and well - the victim of an elaborate identity theft!

Stepping out of the shadows with a new look, new attitude, and new life as Hero for Hire in Chicago - Cage is dropping the "Power Man" name and going solo!

The price of one death may have been lifted from Cage's mighty shoulders, but the spectre of another will haunt him in the form of another double! The son of late villain Bushmaster has hired a mercenary to wage war on Cage! The result is a team of Untouchables led by Hardcore, who descend upon Dakota North in an effort to steal sensitive information she's learned about Cage's past.

Too bad for The Untouchables that Cage is wise to their plans and is about to take the fight to them!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Luke Cage 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Tombstone 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Luke Cage 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Nitro 6 (Mass Destruction)


Be still, my beating heart! What we have here is a good old fashioned dream match! Why is it a dream match? Because for several years these guys were stomping on opposite sides of the mean streets, but they didn't butt unbreakable heads until '92! They're the perfect enemies - and here's why:

Luke Cage is the self-marketed Hero for Hire also known as Power Man!

Growing up in Harlem, Cage's family and friends knew him as Carl Lucas. When he joined The Rivals gang as a young man, Lucas was tempted into a world of crime -- eventually leading to a frame-up that sent him to Seagate Prison!

In prison, Lucas became a subject for super-soldier experiments on inmates. When the process was tampered with, he accidentally gained super-human strength, and skin as strong as steel! He used his powers to escape prison and forged a new identity for himself, choosing to fight crime - for the right price!

The Untouchables are: Tombstone, Nitro & Kickback.

Tombstone is career criminal Lonnie Lincoln. Like Cage, he was born and raised on the streets of Harlem. As an albino, he was ostracized as a child and took to using his physical strength to dominate others. This eventually led him to street fighting, petty crime, and a career as a hitman.

Lincoln cultivated an intimidating persona as Tombstone, filing his teeth and nails into points. He accidentally gained super-human strength when Daily Bugle reporter Robbie Robertson exposed him to experimental gas in an Osborn Chemical facility! The incident also granted him incredible durability!

Even before gaining increased strength, Tombstone has been a regular nemesis for Spider-man [eg; Spectacular Spider-man #142]. We've also seen him go toe-to-toe with Daredevil for a win and a loss, and take on Iron Man and The Avengers as one of the short-lived Sinister Twelve [Marvel Knights: Spider-man #11]!

This is the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths debut for both Nitro and Kickback. We don't have any example data, but the auto-exploding powers of Nitro were responsible for the tragedy in Stamford that kicked off the Avengers' Civil War!

As an eventual member of the New Avengers, we've seen Cage develop as a serious heavyweight! He's battled the likes of: Juggernaut [Thunderbolts #150], The Hood [New Avengers #54], Ms. Marvel [Civil War #3], The Hand [New Avengers #27], and even symbiote possessed Avengers [New Avengers #36]! On the streets, the mutant Unus the Untouchable proved difficult to defeat thanks to his forcefield protection [Power Man & Iron Fist #90]. None of The Untouchables wields any such barrier, despite the name.

Cage is running solo at this point, even though Iron Fist had made a recent and miraculous return from the dead. That means it's three-on-one and that could potentially be a problem!

If Cage can break the fight down, he definitely stands a better chance. Nitro's ability to expel a full body explosion is dangerous, but Cage's unbreakable skin should be able to handle it. Kickback might negotiate a tactical advantage with his time travel powers, but his ability to follow through is limited.

Tombstone is basically Cage's equal - the shadow-self that makes this such a perfect, scintillating dream match. That said, Cage's peak strength usually trends higher than Tombstone's, a high 5 with occasional tendencies to drift tower a low 6, by our measure. We saw that in the Juggernaut fight.

The Untouchables haven't been a unit for long, and are working for mercenary rates. That team instability could be exactly what Cage needs to exploit, enduring long enough to pick them off one by one.

The Math: Nitro Ranking: Luke Cage (#12)

What Went Down...
Tipped off to know all wasn't right at the Chicago branch of North Investigations -- the man called Cage launches into the building! He catches hostage Teague as he explodes through the window, knocking Tombstone off balance!

Time traveller Kickback has already seen the fight three minutes into the future, arriving in our present to watch himself and the other Untouchables surround Cage! Tombstone talks business, but Nitro chooses a more offensively minded strategy -- charging up his powers for a strategically directed explosion!

Cage uses his unbreakable skin to shield Teague from the blast. He eats a boot to the face from Kickback, who appears suddenly having time shifted to avoid the explosion. He teleports away as quickly as he appeared - leaving Cage to swing at empty air!

Tombstone rushes Cage, taking him off his feet with a charging tackle!

The chalk-skinned hitman notes the innate similarities between he and Cage. Thick skin and business acumen aren't enough to compel the Hero for Hire to bond with his foe. He hammers home the differences with a one-two combo of a right hook and uppercut!

The mighty blows rock Tombstone, but he remains on his feet! Nitro calls for him to drop down to give a clear shot, but Cage uses the distraction to grab Tombstone by his feet and send him hurtling into Nitro!

Nitro is floored, but rock-hard Tombstone recovers instantly! He squares off with Cage, lamenting his hopes for a business-like resolution. He charges at the Hero for Hire once again -- more than happy to call upon his days as a street fighter!

The two super-tough combatants smash through the North Investigations exterior wall! Bricks crumble and shatter as they spill onto the street outside - Cage using their momentum to get the upper hand!

An unexpected player arrives on the scene by van: The Punisher! Tombstone tries to tell Cage he's the "Mr. Big" bankrolling The Untouchables, so Cage picks Tombstone up and runs him into the grill of the oncoming vehicle!

The sudden impact throw Punisher face-first into the dashboard! He takes the brunt a lot harder than the bulletproof duo he smashed into.

Cage shakes down Tombstone, demanding the truth about the team. Tombstone gives up the real plan: to gather sensitive information on Cage uncovered by Dakota North! He  also warns that Nitro may be mentally unstable and a danger to the investigator, who may still be inside. This prompts Cage to take his victory and run as Tombstone laughs!

The Hammer...
Nitro does indeed lose his cool, believing Tombstone and Kickback have turned against him. He explodes - destroying the North Investigations building before Cage can get back inside. Cage has no way of knowing Dakota North is safe with Kickback, casting his victory in a grim afterglow as The Punisher arrives.

In a curious twist, Punisher thinks his former acquaintance is actually working with Tombstone. A cliffhanger to be resolved in the next issue - and a future installment of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, I'm sure!

As you may've already gathered, I was pretty excited about getting around to this issue! I've always been a sucker for Tombstone, as I'm sure I've gushed in the past. There's just something fantastic about the simplicity of the character. A granite faced hitman with aspirations for pin stripe suits and working his way up the criminal ranks.

I've often thought about the perfect match Tombstone presents for Cage, whose history before The Avengers was on the streets. I like that Marc McLaurin's script calls their similarities out, even as it highlights the differences. Yes, they're both rock-hard, super-strong guns for hire - but Cage is no hitman!

Tombstone has had one or two more run-ins with Cage since this initial meeting, but sadly, the chemistry hasn't quite produced a new arch-villain scenario. I live in hope that the option is still there, with history to build upon, though!

It's worth noting that "Cage" was specifically the moniker of choice, at this time. He was still a hero for hire, but gone was the "Power Man" handle, soon to be appropriated by another - a villain. A thorough relaunch of a dormant character.

The silver tiara, yellow silk shirt, and chain belt were gone as well. The seventies-tinged remnants of kung fu and blacksploitation fads weren't looking so cool by the late eighties. Cage had toiled in obscurity for a few years by the early nineties, running from the cancellation of Power Man & Iron Fist in 1988, which told the story of Danny Rand's apparent death.

At a glance, there wasn't a lot to tell you this was the same character when Cage launched in 1992. I always appreciated the classic Power Man look, so it surprised me to see him wearing black and red, even if I could appreciate the aim to match a modern style. He shared an aesthetic with a handful of street level characters of the time. Beneath the surface, it was the same character with the same history. The kind of reboot you can appreciate.

The tragic irony of relaunching when they did is simply that Tarantino and anime would bring blaxploitation and kung fu back into style in a major way! Both characters were tailor made to ride the wave of millennium trends, but Marvel struggled to fully capitalize on any kind of relaunch. They're arguably only just getting to the peak now, with a stylish new comic series by David Walker and Stanford Greene, and the character's live-action debut in Jessica Jones.

September 30th marks the release of Luke Cage on Netflix - the first time the character will star in his own TV series! Here on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, we're celebrating that fact by dedicating a month's worth of Friday Night Fights to the man with the bulletproof skin!

If that wasn't exciting enough, today's feature fight comes with unforseen repercussions! Long time readers know every battle on The Comic Book Fight Club contributes to an on-going record. With this win, Luke Cage becomes the first hero in a long time to upend the Top 10 rankings!

Rising to #9, Cage leapfrogs two heroes with whom he has close ties: Daredevil becomes the new guardian at #10, while The Thing is shockingly pushed out out of the Top 10 to #11! Check out all the rankings changes at the bottom of this post! As of 2016, all feature fights end with rankings updates.

If you'd like to get the full experience of today's feature battle, you can use Amazon purchase links provided to pick up a collected edition!

If you want to see more Luke Cage, Punisher or other featured characters, use the character links dispersed throughout this post. Or, jump straight to your favourite battles from legend or obscurity using the Issue Index Archive!

Stay tuned as Cage Month continues with a grudge match that changed his life forever!

Winner: Cage
#9 (+3) Luke Cage
#65 (--) Punisher [+1 Assist]
#362 (-1) Tombstone
#804 (new) Kickback
#805 (new) Nitro

GUY GARDNER versus BLACK HAND

Book One Of Three (DC)
Where: Guy Gardner Reborn #1 When: July 1992
Why: Gerard Jones How: Joe Staton

The Story So Far...
As Green Lantern, Guy Gardner had the cosmos in the palm of his hand. He was an intergalactic space-cop and idol to millions - the Justice League of America's take no prisoners powerhouse. He had it all! Then he lost it...

Having gambled his power ring in a showdown with an Earthbound Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner is now a super-hero without super-powers! Not that that will stop him!

Back on the beat of New York City, Guy Gardner is going to clean up dirty streets - starting with Times Square! Possessing only his fists and a bad ass attitude, he begins a grass roots fight for justice starting with a smut peddling hero-hater he's handled before: Black Hand!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Guy Gardner 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Black Hand 5 (Professor)
Speed: Guy Gardner 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Guy Gardner 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Guy Gardner 4 (Trained)
Energy: Guy Gardner 7 (Cosmic Power)


Here on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths we use The Tale of the Tape to compare, contrast, and summarize the characters appearing in a featured fight. A popular shorthand has always been the tape stats [above], using an independent metric to highlight the strategic advantages of one character over the other(s).

These stats take from a standardized impression of the character - but sometimes circumstances have it that a character isn't fighting at peak condition. That fact plays a major role in today's featured face-off!

Guy Gardner has been better known for much of his career as one of several Green Lanterns designated to Sector 2814. Legend has it he was very nearly the first man of Earth to be chosen for the honor, but proximity to a fatal crash site of Green Lantern Abin Sur led daredevil test pilot Hal Jordan to receive the ring.

In later years, Guy Gardner became a reservist for the Green Lantern Corps, taking responsibility when Hal Jordan was forced away from his duties. In time, this led to full deployment as a Green Lantern, and even amendments by The Guardians to allow for multiple representatives from a single space sector. No such luck at this point in Guy's career, though!

Hal Jordan's return from a lengthy stay in space led to a showdown for patrolling rights on Earth. Refusing to give up his ring without a fight, Guy challenged Jordan to a powerless fist fight. The cocksure Gardner lost his fight, and we find him today shortly after he'd surrendered his ring.

Not having a power ring obviously lessens Gardner's offensive arsenal, but when it comes to fighting Black Hand -- it also diminishes the threat of the villain!

William Hand would eventually come to be known as the death obsessed scion of the Black Lantern. Long before that, he was merely a pathological hero-hater with a penchant for proverb, cliché, and crime! This profile led to inevitable conflict with local hero Green Lantern, who he battles with a device of special design that can drain a power ring of its energy - turning it against the wearer!

In a past feature we saw Black Hand wave his energy wand at Green Arrow and Speedy [Green Lantern: Rebirth #1]. They don't have super-powers to drain, but their archery gave them the edge against a feverish Hand. Will Guy Gardner be able to produce the same result with his fists? Let's find out...

The Math: Guy Gardner Ranking: Guy Gardner (#95)

What Went Down...
Like a human battering ram -- Guy Gardner ploughs through Black Hand and his gang of rubes! A right hook sends the ringleader flying, leaving his mooks to do the fighting in a descending five-on-one flurry of fists!

Black Hand commentates the action from the sidelines with an assault of applicable proverbs. Gardner takes his lumps from all sides and explodes out of the pack with an extension of muscle. He comes from Black Hand, but the villain uses his position to throw a leg at the stalking hero!

Gardner absorbs the kick to the gut and compliments his foe for scoring an impressive hit. It inspires the hero to strike back with another right hook, and an improvised adaptation of an old cliché: "A fist in the mouth..."

Black Hand's head snaps back from the blow, but is caught with another two-prong assault of mangled wordplay and a mangling left cross!

The big bad is on the ropes and his goons are getting antsy! It won't be long now before the Green Lantern tires of toying with his prey and scoops them up in a big green net of justice. Or will it?...

As the moustached mook tries to run, an observant goon points out a certain power ring absent from the Green Lantern's swinging, white gloved fists. With a twisted grin the meagre muscle rejoins the game, clutching a nearby desk lamp.

Unaware of the conspiracy around him, Gardner continues to sink his fists into Black Hand's waiting stomach. His nose bleeds and his body quivers, but still Hand manages a smile: "The... The... The light that burns twice as bright..."

This time quip serves a distraction gambit that pays off! A desk lamp rockets across the back of Guy Gardner's head - knocking him out cold!

The Hammer...
As commander of the nameless crooks who work for him, Black Hand claims a surprising victory over his arrogant nemesis!

With the former Green Lantern out cold in their midst, Hand and his boys toss him to the gutter, to resume their disreputable trade. It's a harsh lesson in adjustment for the now powerless hero, but as Hand would say, you've gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette! Or scramble some brains, as it were.

If you thought Hal Jordan was the first Green Lantern to be reborn - surprise! Guy Gardner was doing it a whole decade before it was cool! He even kicked off his mini-series with a fight with Black Hand -- something Hal Jordan did twelve and a half years later in Green Lantern: Rebirth #1!

The comparisons between GG Reborn and GL Rebirth taper off pretty quickly after that. There's whole a lot of ring slinging in both - naturally, and a face-off (or two) with Sinestro, but the intent of both stories is binary in difference.

When Hal Jordan was coming back in 2005, DC Comics were correcting course on a mid-nineties twist that turned their Silver Age icon into an arch-villain. The goal was to restore the character to his definitive identity as Green Lantern.

In 1992, Guy Gardner was heading in the opposite direction - ousted as Green Lantern, and in need of a new identity all his own. That identity would come at the end of Reborn through the acquisition of Sinestro's yellow power ring of Qward. A story I'm sure we'll look closer at some time in the future.

Ironically, the definitions of all of these details would be changed significantly by Green Lantern: Rebirth, and the extensive reign of Geoff Johns as writer and creative engineer for the entire Green Lantern mythos.

Rebirth restored Guy Gardner to the Green Lantern identity he was famous for as well, stripping him of Vuldarian powers he'd acquired a few years after Reborn as "Warrior". Guy's Qwardian ring returned to Sinestro, and eventually spawned an entire Yellow Lantern Corps. All the colors of the emotional spectrum would follow shortly thereafter, leading to Black Hand's rise as the first of the death wielding Black Lantern Corps.

I don't know that I'd called Guy Gardner Reborn ahead of its time, but it's certainly an interesting time capsule in the sprawling modern history of the characters involved. It taps into some interesting parody of trends of the time, while also indulging in them. Guy has misadventures as gun-covered vigilante, and doubles down on the bad taste violence in a tenuous team-up with another icon of parody gone straight: Lobo. If you were wondering how a smut peddling Black Hand factors into that - it's actually a callback to an issue of JLA!

If you're a Guy Gardner fan, rest assured there'll be plenty more opportunities to revisit his Rebirth, and other stories. In the mean time, we press on...

As you may know, the entire DC Universe is presently in the process of another line-wide "Rebirth", which is the theme running through all of our feature fights this July! Since we talked about it so much today, next week's feature fight will come from the pages of Green Lantern: Rebirth!

If you're reading this sometime in the future - you'll be able to find that fight and many more by scouring the Issue Index Archive! There you'll find even more superhero smackdown and comic book review!

Winner: Black Hand
#334 (+297) Black Hand
#105 (-10) Guy Gardner