AVENGERS versus MODOK & AIM

The Girl From Gamma Gamma Gamma (Marvel)
Where: She-Hulk #1 When: May 2004
Why: Dan Slott How: Juan Bobillo

The Story So Far...
Jennifer Walters lives a charmed life. She parties by night, wins court cases by day, and when she isn't doing either of those, she becomes the Sensational She-Hulk, enjoying all the privileges of an Avenger with superhuman strength, free parking, and residence at Avengers Mansion.

Consultation with a blood specialist has helped the ace attorney crack her latest case against the man responsible for improper storage of Antarctic Vibranium, but closing arguments have to wait when an Avengers Emergency calls She-Hulk into action!

MODOK and Advanced Idea Mechanics are up to their old tricks, targeting the Earth for a deep freeze from the upper atmosphere, but the low gravity battle is just the beginning of She-Hulk's troubles.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: MODOK 5 (Professor)
Speed: Wasp 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Captain America 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Scarlet Witch 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Iron Man 31 (Super)

The Avengers are: Captain America, Iron Man, Wasp, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Hercules, and She-Hulk.

The Avengers have a strong line-up, but don't count MODOK out just yet! He's flanked by a small army of Advanced Idea Mechanics agents, with Blizzard strapped in to a machine designed to amplify his freezing powers on a global scale!

Blizzard is Donald Gill: the second villain to assume the alias after receiving a cryogenic battlesuit from Justin Hammer. He used his ice-projecting powers to help fight Iron Man and War Machine as part of Hammer's private army.

MODOK might look a little funny, but in previous entries we've documented him dominating a troubled Abomination, brain-blasting Cable, and turning heroes into mind-controlled pawns in the all-star all-ages version of Avengers Adventures, which also saw the kid-friendly villain mutate them into MODvengers.

The team assembled today are well versed in the art of saving the world and beating back bad guys. She-Hulk herself has stared down the threat of Thanos on multiple occasions, teamed with Hercules to best the mythical possessed Bran the Blessed, and will eventually defeat the Champion of the Universe.

How will it all go this time around? Let's get to finding out!

The Tape: Avengers Ranking: Iron Man (#4)

What Went Down...

His orbital space platform is already destroyed when MODOK shouts defiantly into the void that his cryo-cannon is still functional.

AIM soldiers float scattered high above the world as the Avengers scramble to prevent the ultimate attempt at techno-orbital espionage.

Leading their effort to save the world is the ever tenacious Captain America, who wields his mighty shield against the yellow clad science-terrorists, while desperately seeking to rally an Avenger to take out the advanced freeze gun.

Wasp and Vision contend with AIM agents, blasting the floating horde, while Iron Man does his best to reach the hostile tech -- even though his repulsor rays cannot breach MODOK's shield bubble.

She-Hulk makes a dive for the bubble as the gunner strapped to the cannon takes his shot.

The cryo-cannon channels the freezing powers of Blizzard to unleash a gigantic freeze ray in the direction of the Earth. The only thing preventing its success -- Captain America's unbreakable shield and will to hold it!

The vacuum of space somehow diminishes the freeze-ray's effects, but if it hits the Earth's atmosphere the world is at risk of a sudden winter!

With the threat of an ice age looming, She-Hulk slams her fist into the translucent shield bubble! Once! Twice! Again and again until at last it breaks!

She reaches in -- grabbing hold of a cable that tethers Blizzard to MODOK!

The mighty muscle of She-Hulk rips Blizzard out of his position mounted on the cryo-cannon and sends he & MODOK helplessly swinging through the vacuum.

She turns the villainous pair into a living wrecking ball, swinging MODOK & Blizzard through the yellow cluster of floating AIM agents -- breaking her own booster pack in the process!

MODOK disengages the line with a mental blast and activates the booster packs in his exo-suit.

An order for "Retreat Plan Omega" begins the escape operation, sending a scattered AIM swarm rapidly blasting for freedom -- thrusting She-Hulk booster-less in the direction of Earth in the process!

Fortunately, Hercules jumps into action to make the save, gently catching She-Hulk with mighty arms and a functioning pack. He agrees enthusiastically to a victory party as they hover above the big blue planet.

The Hammer...

The world is saved from a second ice age thanks to the tireless efforts of She-Hulk and The Avengers!

Despite the planetary threat posed by AIM's dismantled machines, it's actually a relatively small battle, driving MODOK and Blizzard into a desperate retreat in only two action-packed pages.

It serves as a little taste of a typical day in the life of She-Hulk, who literally had to leap from the courtroom, abandoning her duties as a lawyer mid-trial, to serve the greater good as an Avenger.

These dueling responsibilities are catching up with the partygirl hero, whose work/life balance is spiraling out of control -- even if she doesn't realise it!

A one-two punch will bring her down to Earth when Captain America and Wasp politely evict her from Avengers Mansion for abusing the facilities (with a string of impromptu overnight guests), and she loses her civilian job after opposing council argues saving the world meant compromising the jury by eliciting gratitude.

All of this will see Blizzard finding She-Hulk drowning her sorrows the next night in a bar. A chance to settle the score for ruining his shot at the big time -- at least until She-Hulk effortlessly busts out of an ice straitjacket. Fortunately for him, she'd rather share a drink than deliver a pummeling on his way back to The Vault.

Fun stuff from the now legendary 2004-05 She-Hulk series by Dan Slott and Juan Bobillo. An instant favourite of the time that provided a succinct blueprint for last year's Disney+ live-action series with its perfect blend of superhero sitcom, and court room drama.

In fact, once I got my eyes to stop rolling from the sheer absurdity of it all, I couldn't help but be amused by supposed backlash to She-Hulk twerking on the show. Consternation that echoes Captain America and Iron Man's quiet chat about She-Hulk's wild partying during their victory celebration in She-Hulk #1.

Of course, the Avengers leadership were more concerned about structural integrity and security at Avengers Mansion, and less worried about whatever petty crap people were supposedly complaining about on Twitter.

Good humor and empowerment was part of She-Hulk's identity for a couple of decades prior to this, through her bawdy solo series under John Byrne, and tenures with the Avengers and Fantastic Four. We got a little taste of it when she grappled with wardrobe and lodging concerns back in Avengers #222, while also laying the smackdown on Moonstone and Scorpion.

Slott continued a down to earth depiction of She-Hulk that had helped distinguish the character from her rampaging cousin (and earlier "Savage" period), serving up a classic dose of Marvel's "heroes with headaches" with personality all its own.

It was eminently disappointing when Marvel shortened the run to just twelve issues, but that also made it a tight tome, sealed away as a definitive take on the character, and some of Slott's best work. This was before the writer let loose on knowingly prickly subjects, teasing out fresh and intuitive takes on Marvel canon, rather than leaning in to some of its more disruptive urges.

Juan Bobillo delivers all the right beats with a bubbly penciling style atypical for the time, but perfection with its strong expression and performance, and lively sense of energy. Some of his superhero designs go quirkily off-model throughout the series, but as long as they're in these pages, sing in synch with all the fun.

Some of this volume's best elements don't exactly compliment our fight-fixated format, but today's MODOK feature is the kind of curious aside that I love to get on the record. If you're looking for something a little bit harder hitting, there's always our early spotlight on She-Hulk's challenge of Champion of the Universe, and their inventive subsequent rematch.

If you'd like to find more from the topics covered today, you can follow links throughout this post, or discover more wonders by diving into the reference banks of the Secret Archive. That's where you'll find a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more 700 battles and ranked well over 1,000 heroes & villains! Be a hero and support the project by becoming a subscriber on Patreon. As a thank you for your generosity you'll find additional updates, as well as options to shape the course of future articles!

Get free daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day by subscribing to Twitter and Facebook, or by becoming a freebie follower on Patreon. Don't forget to smash that like, fave, and share -- and keep your eyes peeled for the week's top trending battles every Sunday on Twitter & Patreon!

Winners: She-Hulk & Captain America (w/ Iron Man, Wasp, Vision, Hercules, and Scarlet Witch)
#56 (+32) She-Hulk
#7 (--) Captain America
#4 (--) Iron Man [+1 assist]
#39 (--) Wasp [+1 assist]
#148 (--) Vision [+1 assist]
#154 (--) Hercules [+1 assist]
#439 (--) Scarlet Witch [+1 assist]
#145 (-11) MODOK
#982 (new) Blizzard (Donald Gill)

SUPERMAN & BATMAN versus LEX LUTHOR

The World's Finest Part Five: State of Siege (DC)
Where: Superman/Batman #5 When: February 2004
Why: Jeph Loeb How: Ed McGuinness

The Story So Far...
A chunk of the devastated planet Krypton is hurtling on a collision course towards the Earth! US President Lex Luthor has declared Superman public enemy number one as the man he holds responsible for the global threat!

The President sends friends & foes alike to hunt the weakened Superman, but with Batman by his side, they've evaded them all. Not that that has stopped Luthor announcing their successful capture to the world!

Believing their mentors to be held captive in the White House, the heroes' respective protégés stage a daring rescue mission that ends in their capture. Now with the world and their charges lives hanging in the balance -- Superman & Batman storm the Oval Office to confront a President on the brink of insanity!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Lex Luthor 6 (Genius)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Superman 5 (Lasers)
Total: Superman 33 (Super)

Superman and Batman generally outclass Lex Luthor in most categories, but the genius scientist and businessman has a trump card in 2004 that can instantly render them completely impotent: He's President of the United States!

For a couple of career good guys like the "World's Finest" that presents one heckuva problem. Attacking the President means publicly assaulting the very institutions they've sworn to uphold. Luthor may be a self-serving egomaniac, but the risks of forcibly removing him from office are great and many!

At another time in his life Batman actually defended Lex Luthor, from a rogue WayneTech droid, in Batman Confidential #2. He could probably find a way to dismantle Luthor's trademark powersuit, but if he really wants to take President Luthor down, he's probably best doing it as a detective, using his skills to find the necessary evidence to warrant intervention from appropriate political institutions.

Superman smashed Luthor's armor to smithereens in Justice League of America #15, but his dedication to truth, justice, and the American way isn't likely to include assaulting the Commander in Chief, either. He too may be better suited to using his skills as a journalist to expose Luthor's political misdeeds.

Of course, let's be honest: This is the Comic Book Fight Club and we're here for a battle -- not an investigation! Luthor won't go quietly and he's got the weapons to make sure he doesn't have to!

In Supergirl #3 we saw his malice unleashed with the benefit of that iconic green & purple powersuit, and intimate knowledge of synthesizing kryptonite. That's the kind of thing that can prove a real problem for Superman, too.

In 52 #40, Luthor opted for temporary super-human augmentation to torture John Henry Irons, aka; Steel. Batman might be able to watch Superman's back, but if Luthor goes down this road, he can end Batman's assistance in an instant!

Together they've brought down Bloodsport & Deadshot, tag teamed Darkseid into submission, and helped the Justice League stop the Injustice League, Ultramarine Corps, and Mongul -- but can they bring down a corrupt government? Let's find out!

History: Superman & Batman (1-0-0)
The Tape: Superman & Batman Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...

Standing over the beaten bodies of his enemies: President Luthor rolls up his sleeves and smiles gleefully. He quotes Macbeth with a green glint in his eye, "Blow, wind! Come, wrack!" A bitter call for chaos and the unravelling of order.

As if to answer: a red and gold blur swirls around him, spiriting away the young defeated heroes at the President's feet.

He stands alone in the darkened Oval Office for a moment before a mighty backlit figure confronts him!

Captain Marvel stands silently as the President quizzes him on the disappearance of two apprehended fugitives. Luthor lords his presidential title like a weapon, warning the Captain he's "nothing" as he strides confidently toward the President.

Hoisted from the ground Luthor at last realises he is not in the clutches of Captain Marvel. He tears the lightning crest from his attacker's chest and exposes the staggering truth: the man before him is one of the missing fugitives -- Superman!

The Man of Tomorrow remembers his youth spent on the farm, and an adopted father who taught him the necessity of killing a fox who enters the chicken house lest you risk the deaths of more chickens. His eyes glow red with restrained heat.

Staring death in the face, Luthor bargains for his life by preying upon Superman's better nature. He warns of grave consequences. Not only a hunt to bring down Superman, but a bitter distrust that will effect all allied super-heroes.

At that moment a shadow separates from the darkest corner of the room.

The Batman will not stop Superman if he chooses lethal force. The weight of Luthor's evil is too great. The Dark Knight Detective even offers an antidote to the President's threats: "There are ways we could make it look like an accident. Or better still -- as if he'd disappeared without a trace."

President Luthor nervously calls it a bluff. Batman sternly suggests otherwise.

Superman asks if their comrades are safe. Batman confirms the youthful heroes and Krypto have been successfully freed and evacuated. That's enough to satisfy the Man of Steel, who hurls Luthor across the tainted Oval Office.

Superman and Batman make a silent exit, but for The President of the United States the battle is not over. He snarls his title with widened furious eyes and indignant entitlement. For him, this is far from over...

The Hammer...

In review this is really more of a prelude to the battle that unfolds in the following issue. President Luthor is poised to blow his stack big time, and this incident is the trigger that finally pushes him past arrogant hubris into all-out insanity.

As soon as the heroes are out of the building he's injecting himself with a glowing green concoction of venom & kryptonite, and suiting up for a very public battle!

Does today's feature really constitute a fight? Yes & no. We clearly see Superman has Lex dead to rights almost immediately, but chooses to walk away just as fast.

It's a relatively passive outcome. Secure in the knowledge that the higher purpose of The Man of Steel's presence has been achieved. Batman confirmed the rescue of their respective youthful charges, who themselves were captured breaching the White House attempting an ill-fated, ill advised rescue of the World's Finest.

President Luthor had prematurely announced the arrest of Superman & Batman in the hopes of drawing them out. At this point Luthor had no way of knowing the duo had turned the tables on their would-be captors -- Captain Marvel & Hawkman -- some time after suffering an apparent defeat in issue #4. This allowed Superman to disguise himself when gaining entry to the White House.

Deceptive in its simplicity: Public Enemies presents a layer cake of priorities and reference throughout, offering bombastic Ed McGuinness action on the surface, in service of more intricate plotlines deeper down.

In total the story is the ultimate endgame to the Luthor Presidency, beginning with a giant kryptonite meteor hurtling towards the Earth, and Luthor's attempt to publicly & officially hold Superman accountable for the destruction it will bring.

Luthor professes to wield the truth, but is lying to the people -- manipulating the situation to pursue his own agenda & self-interests. Savvy readers knew it was always going to end something like this. It was just a matter of how far Luthor would go, and to what extent he would be allowed to abuse Presidential resources. The cost of his corruption ultimately threatens the entire world, leaving Batman & Superman to work towards an actual solution that will eventually call upon Captain Atom, and lead to the Armageddon imprint crossover series.

Nothing about this superhero story seemed overly dangerous in 2004, but when I started writing this entry in anticipation of the United States Presidential Election at the end of 2020, and continued into January, it became shockingly apparent it would take on new relevance after the attack on the United States Capitol.

I was sensitive to the fact that it had become a very serious subject. Although I'm not American, the site has a large base of American readers, so I decided to delay while we all processed what had happened. Midnight entries on a comic book blog about superhero brawls just don't strike me as a very good place for serious political discourse. Accepting that some opinions and forums simply don't matter is the kind of discerning that could probably help us all a great deal.

That said, there's also no denying the political undercurrent that runs through superhero comic books throughout history. Seminal pulp-infused heroes like The Phantom weren't entirely apolitical in their globe-trotting battles against cruelty and injustice, and if there's a single big bang event that gives us the DC and Marvel Universes: it's World War II. It was pretty much a non-stop free for all of punching Nazis from there! In fact, one of the most famous punches in comics was delivered to a very notable politician -- German Chancellor Adolf Hitler. Good form, Cap!

By the mid-2000s of Public Enemies, Nazis were still evergreen punching bags, but superhero comics were also looking at contemporary concerns, exploring the political & ethical dilemmas of contentious domestic/foreign policies by President George W. Bush. Essentially 'with great power comes great responsibility' applied on a global geo-political scale.

It was that kind of thinking that informed aspects of Mark Millar's blockbuster millennium comics, like The Ultimates and Civil War, and led Warren Ellis to rather cannily make the simmering tension of domestic terror the primary antagonist of his Iron Man story: Extremis. All of these works later went on to be major influences on the Iron Man films, and Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole.

Lex Luthor actually had to defeat W Bush on his way to becoming President in the DC Universe 2000 election, but by the time it was all unravelling in '04, his efforts to vilify Superman based on a lie, and deploy heroes and villains in pursuit of violent reprisal, infused his broad comic book villainy with the subtext of Bush's war on terror, and invasion of Iraq. Both were broad mood setting influences, and common targets for critique, for a lot of American pop culture at the time.

It's become curiously common for some folks to insist that comics from this recent era, or slightly earlier, weren't "political". An unconvincing argument that usually seems to be acting as a political statement, or nostalgia for the innocence of youthful ignorance. The latter of which, admittedly, isn't entirely wrong.

Superheroes were constructed to be champions of social justice and examples for moral upstanding. Although more modern eras grew entangled in subversions, at its core the superhero is a simple premise. They adhere to selfless standards of good and decency in a world that lacks the complexities and uncertainty of reality.

We can have absolute confidence in Superman & Batman acting as heroes, and Lex Luthor a villain. The evidence for this has been provided monthly for nigh on eighty years by their creators. Our heroes' motivations are largely selfless, lacking self-indulgence or flippant enjoyment in their actions, and presumed to come with a good study of hard evidence and fact. Luthor operates on greed and spite.

Jeph Loeb appeared to dabble in extremes of superhero violence throughout this time, sometimes gratuitously, but ultimately with the thesis, as it is in Superman/Batman #5, that heroes do not kill.

Restraint is a key feature that guides them in their effort to do right. They do not enter the White House lightly. Even Batman, who is shown here flirting with lethal force in the face of dire evil, as he did in Batman #614, accepts restraint. Murder is not how you deal with a corrupt, elected official. Extreme violence is not the choice of the super-hero.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is a pretty decent work of fiction and I'm sure we'll return to some of its less contentious battles some time in the future. I would particularly like to look more at the assembly of military connected heroes, and the captured youngsters who set today's action into motion.

If you'd like to get ahead of me and see the full picture for yourself you can check out one of the available collected editions of the story. By using the Amazon purchase links provided to do any of your online shopping you'll not only find a good deal -- you'll also help support the site at no extra cost to you!

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

If you enjoy having all this fun stuff to read and want to support the continued growth of the project you can become a Patreon backer. As a thank you for your contribution you'll unlock extra updates, polls, and options to select your own custom topics for future articles!

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

Winner: Inconclusive
#4 (--) Superman
#134 (+6) Lex Luthor
#1 (--) Batman [+1 assist]

JIGSAW versus DAREDEVIL & BLACK WIDOW

The Widow Part Two of Four (Marvel)
Where: Daredevil #62 When: September 2004
Why: Brian Michael Bendis How: Alex Maleev

The Story So Far...
It's been one year since Daredevil attempted to finish his endless war with Wilson Fisk by dumping the crime boss's defeated body in the street. He has declared himself the new Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen, but his reign has not gone smoothly.

Tabloid press have outed Matt Murdock as Daredevil, and despite his stringent denials, the blind lawyer is caught in a tangled web of public adoration, marital breakdown, and criminal liability. Enter: Black Widow.

Agent Natasha Romanova seeks refuge with her former lover when Nick Fury warns her of corrupt movements within SHIELD. The visit provides a welcome distraction for the man without fear, and the safety of public visibility for the Widow, but a night of playing superhero is about to compound their problems!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Daredevil 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Black Widow 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Daredevil 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Daredevil 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Black Widow 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Daredevil 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Jigsaw 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Daredevil 26 (Metahuman)

The details of Jigsaw's origin have changed over the years, but the general premise remains simple: Billy "The Beaut" Russo was a hitman for the mob until he crossed The Punisher and got thrown face-first through a plate glass window.

Russo's face was shredded, but surgeons stitched it back together, leaving a hideous jigsaw pattern of scars. In his early appearances he wore a supportive exo-suit that covered all but his disfigured face. He wore it in early outings against Punisher, Spider-Man, and Nightcrawler, but predominantly relies on toughness, gunmanship, and connections in the underworld.

Daredevil knows the criminal underworld better than most, making his home in crime-ridden Hell's Kitchen. Local street toughs rarely get the drop on him thanks to his radar perspective and greatly enhanced senses. Jigsaw probably shouldn't be too much of a problem.

We've seen DD go up against Jigsaw's arch-nemesis in Daredevil #257 and Daredevil (Vol.2) #65, deftly handling Punisher's blend of military hand-to-hand combat and gunmanship. He's also turned the tables on Turk in Marvel Comics Presents #19, and bested super-powered brawler Tombstone in Daredevil #91.

Throw in Black Widow and Jigsaw's chances are pretty much shot. Natasha Romanova is every bit the supreme martial artist and acrobat that Daredevil is, keeping company with the Avengers and their many super-powered adversaries.

The Widow is a long time partner for Daredevil, having bunked with the blind lawyer in the seventies. We saw her provide the assist in Daredevil #79, while her most compelling battle on record was another team-up, with Iron Man, against the powerful armored Titanium Man in Iron Man #316!

Black Widow's back in town to lie low with her former lover and it looks like her presence makes Jigsaw's defeat a foregone conclusion. Did it? Let's take a look.

The Tape: Daredevil & Black Widow Ranking: Daredevil (#11)

What Went Down...
Bullets spray across the North Shore Pier. A hideously disfigured man yells obscenities into the night. His name is Billy Russo, but ever since The Punisher introduced his face to a pane of glass he's answered to the name of Jigsaw.

Inspiring his gun violence are two figures moving in the shadows. Jigsaw pins them down with twin submachine . Their bullets spray with wanton regard for accuracy, held at head height in the general direction of the intended targets.

Taking shelter from the gunfire behind steel barrels: Daredevil and Black Widow exchange a flippant flirtation. They're biding their time. Daredevil's radar senses give him a clear lay of the land. Jigsaw's sloppy shooting affords time to spare.

Daredevil calls an one-two play from their past team-ups. Black Widow mocks his old moves, but agrees to play along. They strike!

The vigilante heroes launch into a beautifully acrobatic assault. They dance between Jigsaw's bullets, sending his guns flying through the air, still firing, as they collide with his throat and chest in synchronized kicks.

The Hammer...
We can only presume the double-kick is the finishing blow. The next page shows Daredevil and Black Widow retreating to a rooftop to cool down, and reminisce about past post-battle romances.

We can at least be relatively certain of their victory: Jigsaw returns later in the issue having posted $15,000 bail. A tidy sum for being picked up and held in custody after his defeat.

He believes it's the price to pay for stepping too close to Daredevil's turf when he shows up in the offices of Murdock & Nelson looking to get into the "Murdock business".

Daredevil successfully overthrew Wilson Fisk and declared himself Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen twelve issues ago. Jigsaw has mistaken the new order for another arrangement in organized crime. He thinks he just needs to pay a cut to respect the new boss of the town -- but he's sorely mistaken.

The press has also seemingly outed Matt Murdock as Daredevil at this time, but he maintains a façade of innocence by deflecting any acknowledgment that he's the red garbed vigilante - or new Kingpin - even to Jigsaw. The veil of plausible deniability will  be crucial to restoring the status quo, but also leads to a fun, unexpected trap when Jigsaw comes looking for a reprisal at Murdock's home in the final issue of the arc.

This is part two of a four issue story billed around Black Widow. At a glance it seems like a deviation, but it actually compliments the continuum of Daredevil's tumultuous existence, even as it affords some sense of relief from it.

The arc plays like a deliberate chance to revisit DD and Black Widow's iconic relationship for its own sake, while also pitting him against one of the great Marvel street criminals he hasn't dealt with all that much. It's definitely ticking those boxes for a storied run, but both external elements compliment the building pressure of Matt Murdock's failing marriage to Milla Donovan, and his rash decision to declare himself the very thing he hates.

Black Widow plays a quality guest role as a major protagonist in the arc. She's a character long associated with team-ups and memberships. She of course co-starred in Daredevil in the early seventies, making frequent return appearances in the years since. Remarkably, she didn't get her own titular series until 1999!

I'd presume gender bias in the market had a role to play, along with the decline of the Cold War, and perhaps less interest in spy stories after a boom in the 60s. It was probably a missed opportunity, but when I was growing up reading back issues it did give her a suitably mercurial quality. You never quite knew for sure where Black Widow might strike next!

Scarlet Johansson was originally scheduled to star in her first solo cinematic adventure last month, but the COVID-19 global pandemic pushed the release back to November while theatres remained shut.

I figured it was still a nice time to dig in to one of the Black Widow team-ups I've enjoyed over the years. Hopefully you've enjoyed it, too! You might also like to revisit Iron Man #316, and keep your eyes peeled to the Black Widow tag, or Secret Archive index for future updates.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles! If you like superhero smackdown and want to see the service prosper you can contribute to the cause via Patreon. Patrons gain inside access to the schedule, and can get involved with special feature articles and polls.

You can check out the entire issue and story from today's featured fight in Daredevil Vol. 4 or Daredevil by Bendis & Maleev Omnibus Vol. 2. Using the Amazon purchase links provided to do your shopped won't just get you a great deal -- it will also support the site at no extra cost!

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Winner: Daredevil & Black Widow
#9 (+2) Daredevil
#56 (+33) Black Widow
#918 (new) Jigsaw

SPIDER-MAN versus ELECTRO

Down Among The Dead Men: Part 3 of 4 (Marvel)
Where: Marvel Knights: Spider-man #3 When: August 2004 Why: Mark Millar How: Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson

The Story So Far...
The dual identities of Peter Parker and Spider-man have collided in the worst possible way! The nightmare began with his Uncle Ben's tombstone defaced. Peter soon received a call confirming the worst - that a malicious element has learned his secret identity!

With Aunt May missing, Spider-man begins a frantic chase to find the culprit and rescue his family! Unable to find assistance from his fellow heroes, he finds an unlikely lead from the returning mob boss: The Owl! He points Spidey in the direction of his old enemies Electro and Vulture!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Spider-man 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Spider-man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Electro 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Spider-man 29 (Metahuman)

Time for a recharge and what better way to do it than by pitting Spider-man against one of his most electrifying lethal foes?

Electro was once the struggling electrician Max Dillon -- until a freak accident transformed him into a human capacitor! Now he can drain, store, and generate electrical energy to be utilized through a variety of malicious methods!

His most common attacks are simple arcs or bolts of electricity. His charge can reach significantly high voltage, more than capable of electrocuting a normal human being. He can also create fields of charge to manipulate metals, ignite explosive materials, and even levitate and glide.

Despite being a stalwart classic of the Marvel Universe, we haven't seen a lot of Electro on The Comic Book Fight Club! He nearly spoiled Christmas in the 1992 Holiday Special, but Spidey was able to kayo him with a giant star ornament! He was also back causing trouble in Marvel Knights: Spider-man #11 as part of the Sinister Twelve. He was seen maliciously zapping Black Cat, before he was swiftly neutralized by Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman!

Electro's criminal career is replete with defeats, largely due to his tendency to rely on firepower, rather than tactics. Periodically he receives a helping hand to super-charge his powers, or apply a superior strategy, which can yield results.

The criminal fraternity may just be one of Electro's greatest strengths, and in today's fight, he's out on the town with his old pal Vulture! We missed out on seeing more from him around this time last year, but we'll see if his assistance makes any difference to Electro's chances today!

History is rarely on Electro or Vulture's side, but you don't stick at the super-villain game this long without having a little success. Will this be the one that puts Spidey down for the count? Let's go ahead and find out!

History: Spider-man (2-0-0)
The Tape: Electro & Vulture Ranking: Spider-man (#2)

What Went Down...
Electro opens the door to find the spider's trap waiting to ensnare him! He asks his heroic nemesis to grant two minutes grace for his female acquaintance to clear the area, but Spidey's hip to the phony concern!

With the proportionate speed and agility of an arachnid - Spidey leaps clear of Electro's bolts and delivers a swift right-hand to his unmasked foe!

The blow sends them spilling into the hallway, where Adrian Toomes makes a break for a nearby window with a briefcase in hand! Despite a lack of flightsuit, the trench coated Vulture smashes through the window for an aerial escape -- but Spidey is able to snare the case with a jet of web!

Electro reacts to the loss of funds with a massive blast of electricity that sends Spider-man hurtling from the exploding building in a plume of smoke!

A levitating Toomes delivers the bad news: Their twenty million dollars is gone - scattered to the winds! Suited up for action, Electro instructs Vulture to go get his wings and join him in dismantling Spider-man for costing them their fortune.

Some slick acrobatics and conductive stationary cars help Spidey avoid wild bolts of charge from Electro! He bounces back, leaping onto an idle taxi to deliver a slobber-displacing left hook!

The punch is a momentary distraction. Electro rolls with it and fires back with raw power! Electricity pulses through Spider-man's contorting body! He cries out in agony - throwing his leg at Electro's chest with desperate intent!

The aggressive strike surprises Electro with pain. The spark of his electric energy launches Spidey vertically into the rain-filled sky! A momentary reprieve as Electro's charge fills the street and starts metal shrapnel levitating!

Spidey leaps and contorts to navigate the hail of electrically-charged metal flung into the street! He rips the door off a nearby car to use as a shield, and orders Electro to leave bystanders out of it. Enraged by his losses - Electro lashes out by igniting the car's fuel! It explodes right in front of Spidey!

Fire fills the street and cars rise into the air like toys! Ionized metal an electric suggestion from Doctor Octopus. Electro walks through the fire and brings the evening traffic slamming down on top of a still stunned Spider-man!

Amidst the carnage of twisted metal and exploding gas tanks - Electro gets cocky enough to call Vulture. While he does, a notably battle-damaged Spidey webs across the street and launches himself at his old enemy!

Electro doesn't see it coming as Spider-man rush tackles him from behind! They go smashing into a nearby building, where Spidey just focuses on continuing to hit him! Wild and vicious lefts until a massive finishing uppercut!

Blood trickles from Electro's nose, but the energized villain still crackles with energy. He prepares to flash fry his wild swinging nemesis - until he notices the sign on the wall: Gas & Propane. This time the explosion comes unintentionally!

Both a tattered mess lying in open air. Electro appears the worse for wear, lying amidst the rubble, when Spidey hunches over him to search for answers!

The wall-crawler squats over the exhausted villain and clutches at his suit, but it's no good. Electro and Vulture had nothing to do with May Parker's kidnapping. The Owl played him. The realization leaves Spidey open to one last jolt of electricity! The pooling rain around them the perfect conductor!

Spidey's broken and battered body is blasted from the open rooftop of the gas building. His mind wanders, reviewing the predicament as his limp body hurtles toward the street below. He knows he needs to sling a web - but nothing comes.

The fallen hero smashes into a police car arriving on the scene. The windshield cracks before his body bounces off into a puddle. An ambulance is called, but the threat to Peter Parker is far from over...

The Hammer...
A shocking result! The visual victory appeared to belong to Electro, but under deeper scrutiny, both hero and villain shared a significant amount of damage! Spider-man may've taken a plunge from a building, but they're both on a trip to the emergency room by issue's end -- or at least, that's the plan...

In the next issue: it becomes apparent The Owl's men have collected Electro to punish him for stealing the twenty million dollars. It's a fate he shares with Vulture, who was seen briefly during today's featured fight as his absconding accomplice. That's a story for another day, though...

I was inspired to return to Marvel Knights: Spider-man by last week's Sony demo at E3. Spider-man for the PlayStation 4 seems to be pursuing a confused aesthetic similar to Homecoming, which maintains the utter implausibility of super-powered villains, but little of the joy of iconic fantastical costuming.

Even I can acknowledge yellow & green aren't exactly the go-to colors of electricity. Not that it matters. Hollywood never really got to grips with the whole super-hero deal any way. It was either gaudy dayglow, or drab pleather. Somewhere between these extremes of yesteryear and today lies the happy medium. Pleasing fantasy, and good taste. Occasionally we get both, but these days Marvel Entertainment is selling the classics as short as anyone else.

Electro's costume has always been one of the more challenging designs in three dimensional reality. It's iconic on the page, but the mask and lightning shaped protrusions aren't readily accepted outside of a Mexican pro wrestling ring.

It wasn't entirely surprisingly to see Electro's design addressed when Mark Millar collaborated with Terry and Rachel Dodson. The twelve issue run was ripe for comparison to what Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee did in Hush a year earlier. They'd had creative license with the iconic characters featured. So did team MK Spidey.

Writers of Millar's ilk enjoyed laying the boots in to second-tier villains from time to time. Somewhere in this very issue there's a gratuitous reference to "that loser" Paste Pot Pete. They all had their preferred whipping boys, but it was mostly in good fun. This was a time when the pleather misery of The Ultimates still seemed like a good idea. Fortunately, Marvel Knights: Spider-man was still classic Spidey at heart - even if it had some edge.

Rather than drastically modify Electro's unique look, the circumstances by which it exists were reevaluated. The end result: A slightly more tactile costume, with a mask that clings to his head because of movement, environment, and static electricity. A pleasantly natural in-fiction inspiration for embellishing a classic design. It's still basically the look you know and love, with the subtlety of not having jagged bits sticking off his face in every scene. Not that I really minded.

Spidey still voices the opinion of those who'd diss Electro's fashion sense, but he gets as good as he gives. We should all probably accept the bad guy's costumes as readily as we do the classic red & blue of Spider-man. And we do accept it, whether it has a sporting goods origin story, or not. That's what happens when aesthetic conceits have been established for some eighty years.

Terry Dodson does a great job of bringing the classic into the contemporary, with or without  the rubber souled boots, and costume seams that came into vogue at the time. His work is inky and rubbery and full of volume and energy.

Rachel Dodson's inks no doubt deserve a heaping of credit. Sometimes the black & whites look better than final pages! I like confident blacks and [Terry]'s pencils soak that ink up beautifully.

["Avalon's"] Ian Hannin handled colours on this issue, and deserves a parade for keeping them sumptuous and bold!

His representation of lighting and colour interactions is quite superb, lending a strong impression of reality to the iconic costumes live-action is so reluctant to recreate. Images bathed in blues and reds bring exploding cars and electricity bolts to life better than any big screen blockbuster! The entire art team does a great job of bringing an ominous evening rain to life.

Time and again I'm reminded that good old fashioned Spidey nourishes the soul.

This issue plays rough in ways that won't be comfortable for every fan of the classics, but it keeps a whole lot more than it throws away. Some of what it adds is kinda nice, too. We'll have to make time to talk about what they did with Vulture, but that'll have to wait for another time.

A mean spirit isn't such a bad thing for a villain. Electro feels like a bona fide threat throughout this issue's fight, even if it ends in stalemate. It's useful to re-charge villains from time to time. It keeps their value.  The big action of explosions and floating cars is the good bit of what we saw at E3.

If you're looking for more Marvel Knights Spider-man to nourish your soul, you can check out featured fights from issues #1 and #11! There's a whole lot more to discover by following character tags below, links in this post, or by diving into the Issue Index Archive for all previous featured fights!

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Winner: Draw
#2 (--) Spider-man
#856 (+18) Electro
#540 (+1) Vulture [+1 assist]

NAME-WITHHELD-UPON-REQUEST versus SON GOKU

The Titanic Tournament (Rivals Standing Their Ground!) (Viz/Shueisha)
Where: Dragon Ball Vol. 15 When: May 2004
Why: Akira Toriyama How: Akira Toriyama

The Story So Far...
The time has come for the next Strongest Under the Heavens world martial arts tournament -- the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai!

The greatest fighters in the world have converged on the event to test their might against a promising field of powerful opponents. Last year's runner-up Son Goku will be one of the surefire favourites to go all the way at this year's tournament, but first he must answer the challenge of a surly Quarter Final mystery opponent!

Entered as Name-Withheld-Upon-Request: the mysterious woman has a clear grudge against Goku -- but he doesn't even know who she is! Her identity holds a secret that will change the course of Goku's life! He'll have to fight to get answers, even though he has no true desire to bring harm to his opponent!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Son Goku 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 2 (Average)
Speed: Son Goku 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Son Goku 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Son Goku 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Son Goku 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Son Goku 36 (Cosmic)

We return to the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai for the next tournament match!

A mysterious challenger announced as Name-Withheld-Upon-Request has entered the event to collect on an outstanding debt! If you haven't figured it out already: she's Chi-Chi - The Ox Princess!

When Chi-Chi was a little girl she lived in a castle on Pleasant Mountain with her father Gyūmaō (Ox-King). When the fire that protected their castle grew out of control, Chi-Chi was sent on a quest to retrieve a powerful fan from Master Muten Roshi. On her journey she made the acquaintance of a little boy with a tail, and magical cloud he could ride. Chi-Chi fell in love with the boy and planned to marry him, but he was taken away by the looming threat of The Red Ribbon Army.

The boy in question was Son Goku: An unusually powerful, high-spirited young boy, whose incredible strength, durability, and lust for a challenge could be attributed to his unknown Saiya-jin (Saiyan) heritage!

Goku had been sent to Earth from the planet Vegeta as an infant. His destiny was to lay waste to the world when the Earth's full moon would trigger his natural transformation into a giant ape! The planet would then be ripe for collection and sale by the evil Lord Frieza.

Instead, Goku was found by a kind old man named Son Gohan, who did his best to raise the boy well. Goku was a raucous, ill tempered baby, but a simple bump on the head changed his life (and temperament) for good! Good nature and a positive attitude would follow Goku into adulthood as he developed into an uncanny martial artist -- and one of Earth's greatest heroes!

One day, Son Goku will fulfill the legend of the golden-haired Super Saiya-jin! He'll go on to unlock multiple tiers of the transformation that will grant him energy powerful enough to shatter worlds! When he reaches this peak, Goku will become one of the greatest fighters in the known universe!

At the time of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, Goku is only on the cusp of coming into his full powers. His strength, speed, and durability are drastically greater than normal, as is his mastery of ki attacks, including the Kamehameha energy wave. However, he hasn't yet learnt the boku-jutsu technique (flying), or other high-level attacks he'll come to be associated with in later iterations.

Chi-Chi may not be vying for the title of Strongest Under the Heavens, but she shouldn't be taken lightly, either! Her father granted a basic education in the fighting arts, and if properly motivated she can be quite the spitfire! Aggression is one of her greatest strengths, and with Goku oblivious to her belief that they were to be wed -- this is a match the young hero could in fact lose!

The Tape: Son Goku Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...
As the two combatants face-off for their Quarter Final match, Goku wonders why his mysterious opponent always seems so mad. She angrily compels him to ask his own heart. They confirm she has the right man - and the fight begins!

A fast thrusting kick catches Goku by surprise!

Still in disbelief; Goku quizzes the furious fighter on their past acquaintance whilst dodging a flurry of deadly hand strikes! There's no doubt in the determined young lady's response -- packaged with a rapid rising knee!

Goku just barely dodges the knee with a backward leap. As he makes his landing on the tiles -- his opponent is already dashing into her next attack!

It turns out it's Goku's lapse in memory that is the very source of the woman's scorn! She's been waiting years for his return - but the adventuring hero forgot all about her! She unleashes her frustration in a 5-hit fist & knee combo!

Goku scrambles to catch his opponent's strikes - simultaneously searching for a memory of the promise he supposedly made to her!

He tries to buy himself some time, leaping backward into the sky, but his mysteriously motivated opponent won't back down! She jumps skyward right after him with a pointed flying kick!

Watching from the crowd, Muten Roshi begins to sense something similar to his own style in the unknown woman's attack. He and Goku's friends are all bowled over when she reveals a stunning revelation: Goku said he'd ask for her hand!

Still an innocent at heart, Goku doesn't understand the turn of phrase. Fellow competitors Kuririn and Yamcha communicate from the sidelines, filling him in on the life-long vow of taking a woman's hand in marriage. He can't quite grasp why he'd ask somebody he doesn't know to live with him forever, but she promises to reveal her identity if he manages to defeat her. A guarantee in the mind of the great fighter, even though she has no intention to lose!

Enthused by the promise of a conclusion, Goku does his best to warn his fair opponent of his coming attack. He then gathers his ki and compels it forward!

Goku's awesome aura slams into his opponent like an invisible wall!

Though without contact - the energy attack is still powerful enough to send the woman hurtling uncontrollably through the air! She flies across the battlefield, leaving the perimeter of the arena to slam into its surrounding bespoke wall!

The stunned announcer declares Goku winner as the good natured hero shows concern over the unintended force of his winning attack.

The Hammer...
We might make debate of whether or not a tournament ring-out meets the terms of our definition for victory. Fortunately for the sake of clarity, it hardly matters in this instance. In misjudging his own strength: Goku struck a definitive winning blow!

As noted in The Tale of The Tape [above]: "Name-Withheld-Upon-Request" was none other than Ox Princess Chi-Chi.

She's all grown up and one tough cookie! With the terms of her challenge met: Chi-Chi reveals her identity, and Goku just sort of accepts that he did promise to marry her (with the help of a couple of class DB panels as memories). Of course, as a young boy, Goku thought he was actually promising to come back for some sort of exotic meal.

In classic Goku style, he takes his mistake in stride and stays true to his word. With that, the Quarter Final victory in the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai is the scene of their engagement to be wed! If you know your Dragon Ball Z: you know they'll go on to live a long and mostly happy life together.

In the next few years Son Gohan will be born to the couple, and father & son will learn more about their origins as Saiya-jin alien warriors as they fight to protect the Earth. Chi-Chi will be a doting mother obsessed with her son's education. Goku will be his usual flighty self, getting the kid into all kinds of trouble as he follows in his father's footsteps as a great martial artist!

With any luck we'll eventually get to those DBZ years, but for now we focus our attentions on their prelude at the Strongest Under the Heavens tournament!

Goku's win means he advances to the Semi Final where old rival Tenshinhan will await thanks to his prior victory! Their match will be of particular interest given Tenshinhan won the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai by defeating Goku in the final!

There are still two more Quarter Final matches to complete before we get to that exciting rematch! I can't tell you when that will be, but with Dragon Ball FighterZ in development to reinvent the series in side-to-side fighting games -- and Dragon Ball Super creating all new adventures within the original DBZ timeline -- I'm sure we'll have plenty of reasons to return to Dragon Ball!

Today's feature fight is brought to you thanks to the release of Iron Fist on Netflix! Our massive month of martial arts mayhem in March officially ends here! As always, if you want to get more action like this you should check out the links provided, and follow along via Facebook & Twitter.

You can also dive in to the Secret Archive to find hundreds of previous battles in order of publisher, series, and issue! You can support the site by sharing your favourite fights with friends, or by using the Amazon purchase link next to this text to pick yourself up a copy of Dragon Ball Vol. 15! Amazon will pay it forward at no additional cost to you!

Dragon Ball Vol. 15 was originally published by Shueisha in December, 1988. This edition collects chapters 169 through 180, originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump. The Viz reprint was published May, 2004 with English localization by Gerard Jones and Mari Morimoto.

Winner: Son Goku
#305 (new) Son Goku
#828 (new) Chi-Chi