MARY MARVEL versus WONDER WOMAN
Know Evil (DC)
Where: Final Crisis #3 When: September 2008
Why: Grant Morrison How: JG Jones

The Story So Far...
Darkseid's death at the hands of his son Orion appeared to fullfil the prophecy of his destruction, but the Death of the New Gods would not end with their darkest ruler. Orion was murdered with a magic bullet, signifying the beginning of a new tale as Darkseid and the evil New Gods were reborn to walk the Earth as gods as men. With the Anti-Life Equation unlocked, Darkseid sets about to realise his goal to create the Fifth World in the ruins of the Earth.

Possessing carefully selected agents; the evil New Gods wear key figures in a bid to eliminate and undermine any potential opposition posed by the world's greatest superheroes. Among the corrupted is the once wholesome Mary Marvel, whose path of darkness had already begun before the spirit of Desaad brought her into the service of evil itself. Though Wonder Woman and the active heroes of Earth suspect the involvement of evil gods, they have little evidence to act upon, and no assistance from the already deceased heroic New Gods.

With Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern incapacitated by a series of unlikely events; Wonder Woman visits the outskirts of the radioactive ruined city of Blüdhaven to aid in Checkmate/S.H.A.D.E. priorities and partake in goodwill toward displaced refugees. Venturing into the contaminated zone, Wonder Woman is unaware that the destroyed city and it's underground genetics laboratory, "Command-D," has already been taken over by the evil New Gods.

Accompanied by S.H.A.D.E. agents of the Atomic Knights, she walks toward the rampaging Mary Marvel, who will threaten to remove yet another of Earth's most powerful players from the board!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Wonder Woman 6 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Wonder Woman 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Mary Marvel 5 (Superhuman)
Stamina: Wonder Woman 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Mary Marvel 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Wonder Woman 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Mary Marvel 3 (Explosives)


- Seperated from her sibling after their parents died; Mary Bromfield discovers a second life when she is discovered by her lost brother, Billy Batson. Secretly the magically powered superhero, Captain Marvel; Batson is forced to rescue his sister upon rediscovering her, but when their roles are reversed, Mary discovers she too can call upon the magic lightning of Shazam to become Mary Marvel.

Mary derives her powers from her older brother, possessing the same SHAZAM pattern of: 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. These skills inspired by gods and legends grant her superhuman strength, speed, endurance, flight, and the ability to call upon the magic lightning bolt of Shazam to switch between identities -- a skill used offensively by her elder sibling.

Mary's pantheon of gods changed recently when she adopted the dark powers of Black Adam, derived from Egyptian myth. Mentored by Eclipso; Mary's corrupted strength continued to grow and despite her efforts to exorcise the evil, she was eventually possessed by the dead New God, Desaad, and transformed into a thoroughly evil servant of Darkseid during his conquest of Earth.

- Commanded by the Greek gods to carve a child from clay; the Amazonian Queen, Hippolyta, bore witness to the animation of this child as her daughter, Diana. The child was enchanted with abilities comaprable to those of the gods themselves; fantastic speed, strength, agility, and endurance. With the teachings of Gaea and the peaceful Amazon warriors to guide her, Princess Diana grew to be their greatest champion, as powerful as she was gentle -- Wonder Woman!

When the Princess was of age she was the natural choice of the warrior women of Themyscira to carry their message of of peace and harmony to the world of man. There, she served not only as a diplomat, but as a founding member of the Justice League whose legend grew to be one of the greatest heroes on Earth.

Math: Draw Ranking: Wonder Woman (#13)

What Went Down...
Accompanied by three "Pony Dog" dalmation riding Atomic Knights; Wonder Woman is confronted with shocking scenes within the radioactively contaminated city limits of Blüdhaven. Brutalized bodies belonging to the duplicating S.H.A.D.E. operative, Replika, foreshadow the arrival of Mary Marvel, whose sensibilities have been radically altered by the taint of the evil New God, Desaad.

Initially disarmed by Mary Marvel's arrival; Wonder Woman fails to mount an adequate defense when the "troubles" she's heard of are credited to the once timid Justice Leaguer.

The young heroine launches herself into an attack with giddy delight. She rakes at Wonder Woman's exposed arm, drawing blood that will take on a far more sinister significance as the fight goes on.

In a single fluid motion the Marvel continues on her flight path, literally flying through one of the Atomic Knights, Marene Herald, whose body bifurcates at the waist, despite her armor. Her over-sized dalmation pony also suffers the same fate, sliced at the neck by the torpedo-like invulnerable body of Mary Marvel.

The corrupted Marvel finishes the arc of her flight with Wonder Woman once more, who finds her warrior's footing. A right hand punishes Mary Marvel for her unjust killing spree and sends her reeling. The Amazonian warrior follows with a rench of her opponent's arm and an offensive strike to the elbow with her own.

Mary swings and delivers a stiff blow with her uneffected arm, crackling with corrupted lightning energy. Wonder Woman blocks the shot inches from her face, using superhuman strength to overcome her opponent with the counter pressure of her own grip. She brings Mary Marvel to her knees, and despite her murderous indescretions, warns the surviving Atomic Knights not to kill her.

Mary confirms Wonder Woman's suspicions of a New God conspiracy, revealing that the evil gods have walked the Earth hidden within the bodies of humans. She gloats in the face of apparent defeat, revealing the imminent release of the Anti-Life Equation across the world, and with a yank of her fist, another cunning gambit to infect Wonder Woman with the Morticoccus virus.

Darkseid's Purifiers arrive as Wonder Woman drops to the ground, feeling the effects of the infection. She is to be the carrier of this plague that will enslave yet more of the great heroes who might oppose Darkseid's rule.

The Hammer...
While Wonder Woman was able to physically best her for the most part, it is ultimately Mary Marvel who is victorious in their battle by fighting a little bit dirty! She picked up a pair of kill stats while she was at it and the assist for Desaad, too, just in case you missed that oh so vital statistical detail.

I was incredibly enthusiastic about Final Crisis as it crossed the threshold of 2008 into the beginnings of 2009. With so much of it's legacy playing out in the events of 2009, I've been disappointed to have not yet elaborated further on the series here on the Infinite Wars, so with a very quiet week in comics, I thought it opportune to revisit the series with the next issue in it's chronological order. [Check out #1 and #2!]

The cultural elephant in the room of this issue, at the time, was the subjucation of Wonder Woman by the forces of evil. For many; the circumstances of the defeat overwhelmed any thematic demands the story placed on a systematic elimination of the greatest and most powerful heroes in the DC Universe.

To this point; Orion and Martian Manhunter were already dead [#1/Requiem]; Batman had been swiftly beaten-up and teleported away by Kraken [#2]; Green Lantern had been fingered for attacking John Stewart in the frame-up that Batman uncovered (perpetrated by Kraken) and arrested by the Alpha Lanterns [#2]; and earlier in this issue [#3], Superman had been extracted by Zillo Valla for the purposes of defending the multiverse from Mandrakk [in Superman Beyond, and Final Crisis #7]. My point? The big guns were all getting taken out pretty early. If anything, at least Wonder Woman got to put up a fight!

The more significant objection probably came from later issues that failed to fully pay-off Wonder Woman's predicament with an equal and opposite success. It's there, but it might not have been the moment some of the other marginalized heroes got. Is that really such a bother, though?

It would be nice to be able to discuss Wonder Woman without the subject turning to how the character can be fixed, but it's obviously something that weighs heavily on the character in all her modern incarnations. Where the Linda Carter television series might've once secured the character's status, we quite reasonably find ourselves routinely reviewing the validity of Wonder Woman's status as one of DC's holy trinity. There's the fact that she's still an instantly recognised pop culture icon, and also the in-fiction qualities that have defined her as a well respected powerhouse of the Justice League, but with Flash and Green Lantern under going hugely successful creative revamps, it gets all the more difficult to justify WW's place among the golden three.

While we've observed quiet promise in some of the recent work of Gail Simone and co., it's safe to say a magical solution hasn't been arrived at in the likes of Genocide or Achilles. The benefits of these stories might not be felt for some years to come, giving the characters and ideas a chance to gain a cache of longevity, and the chance to be reborn through new context. They are, by their very nature, contrived to a point of maintaining the distraction with shake-ups and reinvention that so many Wonder Woman readers are bound to have.

Final Crisis might not have been a defining moment in the Wonder Woman mythos, but it presented the character as a functional part of the DC Universe that manifests not for the design of a new arch-nemesis or key plotline, but as a natural phenomenon that we should, to some extent, arguably take for granted.

[Grant] Morrison later responded to some of the controversy of with an admission of failure to the Wonder Woman character and the intent to possibly explore ideas he'd had for his own take on the character at a later date. While that's a promising result to come from the outcry, I would also argue that it's a legacy that was entirely unnecessary. It'd be fantastic to see the same writer who made Superman populary endearing through All-Star Superman take a stab at her.

Mary Marvel also came off worse for wear from this encounter, but I'd similarly dismiss some of the disdain for the sheer fact that this was another plot-driven circumstance where situations were dictated by events. In this case; Mary Marvel gets a punkish makeover as a result of her possession by an evil god.
Personally, I thought it was a lot of fun, and a great punkish redesign and expression of a saccharine teen queen rebelling. It's probably not something I'd expect on an on-going basis, but for what it was, it was a lot of fun. A vivid concept executed on quite well, which is something that could be said of many of Final Crisis's working mechanical parts viewed individually, or as a whole.

The 'channel changing's tyle that skips around the important bits (and some fun bits, too) services the story well in this third issue to continue the first act set-up of this world succumbing to evil. There's a lot more action in the issue that will have to be reviewed on the Infinite Wars on another quiet week of comics.

I haven't seen or heard many folks revisiting Crisis since confused and distracted opinions settled earlier in the year. I hope hindsight has given some clarity to those who sought to overcomplicate or confuse matters in their own minds. While I can't claim to necessarily appreciate every single subtlty Mr. Morrison enfuses his scripts with, I can certainly be described as reading through them, and enjoying every quirky moment for what it is, and on levels that speak to me.

Having been so distracted by weekly releases in 2009, I've lost my grasp on the energy that Final Crisis put-out when I first read it. Flicking through the pages of the series in the company of loved ones made my 2008 Christmas a special day, and sparked in me an enthusiasm and imagined I sometimes don't have when reading corporate crossover comics. I'd love to elaborate more on it, but that will have to wait for another review. We really must be moving on!

The Fight: 5.5 The Issue: 5.5

Final Crisis is available in collected softcover and hardcover formats along with companion works collecting peripheral stories relevant to the Final Crisis storyline. You can find many of these reviewed in the Secret Archives and on sale in the Infinite Wars Online Shop. By using purchase links provided, you not only benefit from Amazon's prices and service, but also help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars!

THE SOCIETY versus
MARTIAN MANHUNTER
Caretakers of Mars (DC)
Where: Final Crisis: Requiem #1 When: September 2008 Why: Peter J. Tomasi How: Doug Mahnke

The Story So Far...
When an abusive childhood ended with his father's accidental death, Justin Ballantine accepted the value of balance in all things across the universe.
His cosmic philosophy, and aspirations of godhood, would lead him to accept employment as an adult to form a group called the Injustice Gang, and attempt to construct a weapon based upon the cosmic rod of Ted Knight.

His resulting "Transmortifier" proved capable of stealing a portion of energy from it's target, making a valuable weapon when turned against the superhuman might of the Justice League. As Libra, Ballantine received the powers of the combined JLA, before turning his weapon on the cosmos itself. The resulting influx of power seemingly destroyed his physical form, but Libra was reconceived on the planet Apokolips by his mystery benefactor, Glorious Godfrey.

As a prophet of Darkseid; Libra returned to Earth after the Death of the New Gods, promising to lead evil to salvation if The Society would entrust in him their leadership. Requiring the organized hordes for his own malicious ends, Libra set about bringing doom to the Earth as part of Darkseid's plot to create the Fifth World upon his resurrection as man. To distract the Society from the detail of his goals, he offers an act of good faith to one of their lowliest number. Thus, at the request of the Human Flame, Libra promises the death of Martian Manhunter...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: M. Manhunter 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Lex Luthor 6 (Genius)
Speed: M. Manhunter 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Vandal Savage 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Gorilla Grodd 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Talia al Ghul 5 (Martial Arts)
Energy: Libra 6 (Mass Destruction)


- The Society are: Libra, Lex Luthor, Dr. Light, Effigy, Dr. Sivana, Vandal Savage, Gorilla Grodd, Talia al Ghul, Ocean Master, & Human Flame.

The first incarnation of self-confessed "Super Villains" was gathered by the evil New God, Darkseid, in an effort to pool the group's efforts against their mutual heroic enemies. Typically rife with internal conflict, the collective rarely achieved any success in their battles with their counterparts in the Justice League.

When the revelation of a history of mind-altering intrusions perpetrated by by the JLA was uncovered, the strength of the criminal community was galvanized under the leadership of Crisis on Infinite Earths survivor Alexander Luthor Jr, who was disguised as the version of this universe's version of his father, Lex. Luthor Jr succeeded in unionizing all but a select few criminals, organizing their efforts to further his own reality-altering goals. Upon his death, members of the Society operated in smaller groups, such as the Injustice League, before the mysterious villain Libra sought leadership during the return of the New Gods on Earth and Darkseid's attempt to created the Fifth World [Final Crisis].

- Experiments with teleportation technology developed by one Dr. Erdel were, by accident, responsible for plucking J'onn J'onnz from his home on Mars. Traversing the gulf of space by unknown means, the unannounced arrival of a lurching Martian figure was enough to startle the aging scientist to his death. Alone in a strange world, the accident forced the Martian to at first adopt the scientist's identity by means of shapeshifting, before he absorbed enough understanding through the observation of television programming to assume his own identity.

Finding aspirational figures in the gumshoe detectives popular on television, the Martian adopts the fictitious identity of Detective John Jones. For a time he was to do as he had on Mars, delivering justice with unwavering moral and character, but eventually circumstances would force a reveal upon the Martian Manhunter.

Though resistant at first to expose himself to humanity's judgment, his unique Martian abilities quickly earned him status with the Justice League of America.
Along with the ability to transform his appearance and form, J'onn J'onnz also possesses fantastic super-human strength, speed, durability, energy vision, vast telepathic skill, and the ability to become invisible and intangible. While these many abilities quickly rank him among the most powerful figures in the DCU, the sole survivor of catastrophe on Mars has a single mundane weakness -- fire!

Math: The Society (Ttl) Martian Manhunter (Avg)
Ranking: Martian Manhunter (#32)

What Went Down...
The Martian Manhunter's initial defeat comes at the hands of Dr. Light and Effigy, who are deployed by Libra to retrieve their target. Specially designed "pyro-tranq darts" conceived by the mad Dr. Sivana pump the Martian's body full of paralyzing agent, while Effigy's mastery of flame ensures he remains subdued.

The dastardly duo drag the Martian's body to an elevator that takes them upstairs to their waiting master. The gathered inner-circle of the Society watch as their pledging leader, Libra, lords over the weakened hero. Noting no desire to battle the Martian in a fair fight, Libra plunges his spiked staff through the alien's chest, bathing the hero in flames once more.

The pain of the blow shocks the Martian out of his stunned state, resulting in a squirm and bending flailing of transforming limbs. He tosses Libra across the room into an abandoned bar, contorting to pull the impalement from his chest!

The Martian Manhunter's explosive atomic vision blasts the opposing villains, before he lunges at them with the strength of a madman!

He clutches Light by the throat while Gorrilla Grodd takes the brunt of his Martian vision blasts, and Sivana inconsequentially swings off of his free arm. Talia al Ghul lurks with a blade drawn while the two fire wielding villains attempt to quash the Martian's rage, but their numerical superiority inspires a challenge.

The Justice League appears to crash through the ceiling to come to their teammate's aid, a member for every villainous counterpart!

Superman drives his fist into Lex Luthor's heart; the Green Lantern encases Effigy in a liquid filled energy construct; Flash vibrates his way through Gorilla Grodd's skull; Captain Marvel crams worms into Dr. Sivana's mouth; Batman silences Talia al Ghul with a kiss and embrace; Aquaman drives Ocean Master's own trident into his chest; and Elongated Man wraps around Dr. Light's body, promising revenge for the crimes he committed against his deceased wife.

Just as the tide appears to be taking a nightmarish turn for the villains, Libra's word clears the confused minds of his Society fellows. With his staff again driven through the Martian Manhunter's gut, he pins the hero to the ground, forcing his telepathic crusade into remission.

Clinging to the staff as desperately as he does to life, the Martian Manhunter defiantly pulls himself toward Libra. Through grit teeth he maintains a brave face, even as Effigy and Dr. Light descend upon him in a swirl of flame.

His body smouldering, the defeated Martian makes a final prophecy of doom for the forces of evil. As the Society gathers in a circle around him, J'onn J'onnz sends out a final telepathic cry to the real League, giving each an opportunity to glimpse the sprawling story. It is not enough to protect them from the crisis to come, but when the heroes of Earth return J'onn J'onnz to the barren soil of Mars, they remember him fondly.

The Hammer...
Led by Libra, The Society emerge with one of the defining victories that led to the day that "evil won." Effigy and Dr. Light should be included in the win stats, for anybody playing at home.

One of the few drawbacks of focusing on the releases of the week is the many stories that are overlooked, or forgotten. Final Crisis; a story that thrilled in the early parts of the year; is a prime example of this loss. Fortunately, a slow week and impending significance grants us reprieve to go back to the event that changed the way we look at the DCU.

Martian Manhunter was a character dangling over the comics dead pool for quite some time. Though beloved as a stalwart of the JLA, the character had struggled to sustain any viability as a solo or headlining property, making him the perfect balancing act of significance and expendability in a corporate structure. Or at least, that's one interpretation of a story that managed to have much more soul than many of the recent deaths that have plagued superhero comics.

First confirmation of the death came from a brief sequence in the now classic first issue of Final Crisis. There; JG Jones (and Grant Morrison) merely confirmed the kill, alluded to with a single shot of the impaled and burning figure. Requiem, as you might have gathered, elaborates on the final plot against Martian Manhunter and the way in which the heroes mourn and remember him.

As a tie-in with an obvious purpose, Requiem excells not just for elaborating on details from the core-series, but also telling a startlingly powerful tale. Despite the bravado of the Martian Manhunter character, his death lingers as a pathetic final moment for such a powerful character. The famous fire weakness has always lent itself to this, most recently recognised for it's recent reference as a threat in DC: The New Frontier, delivered by Batman to MM's alias, Det. John Jones.

A less romantic examination of the Martian Manhunter death reveals a beloved character desperately attempting to overcome the inevitable in an effort to cling to life a little longer. His telepathic resistance is a feeble attempt against the overwhelming odds posed by The Society's powerful number -- Human Flame and Effigy qualified to rival the hero solo, let alone in the company of powerhouses like Gorilla Grodd, Lex Luthor, and Vandal Savage. Even in his final moments, Martian Manhunter tries to turn Libra's condemnation against him, "It is you... that will no longer pose a viable threat." (I know you are, but what am I?)

Granted, the latter example could be interpreted several ways, more positively as in our previous summary section as a foreboding moment of satisfaction for a character telepathically reaching out to his fellows. Ultimately, no substantial warning appears to be delivered, certainly nothing sufficient enough to inform the heroes of the coming destruction wrought by the Society and Darkseid's New Gods reborn on Earth.

This mixed interpretation shouldn't be mistaken for weakness in the writing, as Peter Tomasi delivers a respectful eulogy for the character often described as the soul of the Justice League. It might not have been the moment fans wanted to be the character's last, but that is the nature of the lives delt to men and women who choose to put themselves in the line of danger in the name of justice.

Doug Mahnke handles the action superbly, but it's his treatment of the emotional second half of the story that emphasises why he's one of the Infinite Wars' favourite artists in superhero comics. A scene featuring a mourning Hal Jordan, and Oliver Queen, maskless, is of particular sentimentality, expertly exuding the gammut of emotions, positive and negative, expressed by the pair.

The story does particularly well to deliver a brief tour through the most recent incarnations of Martian Manhunter's complicated backstory. Longtime fans might notice the glaring absence of their own favourite moments, but as a moment of sentimentality and functionality, it's a great way to induct the uninformed into some of the details that defined the otherwise undeveloped supporting character.

In a moment typically overlooked in comics, J'onn J'onnz is privvy to a funeral tailored to his unique character. Ferried by all four human Green Lanterns, almost the entire recnognisable superhero community join the core Justice League for a ceremony on Mars, complete with relocated artifacts from Martian society that had been rematerialized on Earth by the Spectre (in a previous story).

It would be hard to imagine the moxxy of the story being lost, even on the most uninitiated fan. After fifty years of publication, it's sad to say that this might just about be the most definitive publication in the character's long history.
Maybe a little sadder is that such a poignant tale will be essentially undone when the Martian Manhunter returns from the grave as one of the first confirmed Black Lanterns in Geoff Johns' upcoming space epic, Blackest Night. For critics, however, it is important to remember the machinery of the superhero universe, not just for it's creative and corporate cogs, but the in-fiction plausibility of it's constant flux. Like the ominous reference in Final Crisis to the heroes praying for a resurrection for their friend, we should appreciate the grander picture of the Black Lanterns, rather than dwelling on the moments perceived as being undone.

Confirmed thus far for the Black Lantern Corps are also deceased heroes; Earth-2 Superman, Aquaman, and former-Firestorm, Ronnie Raymond. Possible allusions also include Superboy, Mirror Master, Blue Beetle, Sue Dibny, Elongated Man, and Dr. Light, but these would only be guesses based on recently release promotional art [via DC: The Source]. For some of our early predictions (some right), check out our predictions entry from October 2008!

For more on the Martian Manhunter and his wonderful history, also consider checking out our previous Double Feature entry, Men are from Mars!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 6.5

If somehow you missed out on the Final Crisis epic, you'll be able to catch-up in one fowl swoop with the complete collected edition. For more of the story, including Final Crisis: Requiem, you'll also want to pick-up the Final Crisis Companion, which features various connected tie-ins. Some of the best examples of tie-in issues by any company in recent years! PLUS -- by using purchase links provided on the Infinite Wars, you help sponsor future entries! You'll find plenty more on offer in the Amazon Gift Shoppe, including collections featuring most single issues reviewed in the Secret Archives!

QUICK FIX MEGAMIX: FINAL CRISIS #2!
Ticket to Blüdhaven (DC)
Where: Final Crisis #2 When: August 2008
Why: Grant Morrison How: JG Jones

Quick Fix...
So far in 2009, our perspective has been fixed on relatively recent developments in the world of the big two. Nurturing this interest in particular was DC's Final Crisis, a story that has become as infamous for it's reception, as it has the details of apocalyptic turmoil that face the heroes.

For a series that explores the metatextual consequences impacting comic book universes, it's almost a self-fulfilling irony for the book to become slightly overshadowed by the meta-event of it's interpretation. For many, the broad scope of the DCU and the channel surfing delivery of it's doomsday, proved overwhelming, to a point of apparent confusion.

The second issue is far too early in the series to launch any kind of responsive assault on the impressions of less-than-impressive readers. In ways few could have predicted, those claiming confusion from the very first issue actually had some good reason to do so, even if they were completely unaware of why.

The first issue could easily have been mistaken for a more conventional outing, setting up the details of an adventure centred on spotlighted characters; Dan Turpin, Green Lantern, The Question, The Society, Darkseid, and The Monitors.
In hindsight, the conclusion isn't exactly that removed from the beginning, at all, but a conventional linear story, this isn't.

Anyone who did the Infinite Crisis thing a few years ago, probably didn't have any trouble interpreting "Final." While concept drove events to initiate slower than the previous Crisis - and Morrison's choices included smaller details - it is none the less, quite similar in it's basic approach to touching an entire universe. Both tales deal with the congregation of parallel Earths, placed in peril by the emergence of a threat on our central Earth. In the case of the Geoff Johns story; Alexander Luthor Jr's efforts to revamp the multiverse with remnants of the Anti-Monitor gave the heroes a rallying point, while tangentially related battles were fought at other checkpoints. In Final Crisis, the dual menace of Darkseid's spread of the Anti-Life Equation, and his penetration of time and space, threatens the entirety of our existence, leading all struggles to branch out from there.

For those who made similar assumptions based upon the first issue -- the second provided quick clarification. I would argue, based on some of the chatter I picked up at the time, that many readers made the mistake of deciding what type of story Final Crisis was going to be, before even giving it a chance.

The details of the story become further unfurled, revealing more of the myriad of forces conspiring against the DCU. The descent into apocalypse only now begins to take form in a way heroes can recognise, and as we're about to see in our fight recaps, the likes of Batman discover this all too late.

Strands are concluded, as is the case throughout much of the series, but the chopping attention granted to various factions within the DCU makes the global significance of Final Crisis very apparent. Morrison's descent into Kirby files really kicks off here, too. Dan Turpin, Sonny Sumo, and various other characters from Kirby's insular DC projects, all begin to shift toward centre-stage, joining the villainous New Gods as powerful DC-centric figures in building event.

This post is about the fights contained within the issue, as is typically the case on the site. I'm torn about trying to elaborate more upon what I believe lies within these pages, ie; the potential comparisons between Morrison's in-fiction exploration of cultural "existentions" and the internet age's proliferation of wannabe do-it-yourself comics creators/heroes.
At the same time; one of the points that I hope to underscore as we travel through the pages of subsequent issues, is that this doesn't need to be as complicated a story as some people want. There's still a very enjoyable superhero epic to be read, even if some of the finer details are lost on you, and yes -- even if you do not have an encyclopaedic knowledge of DC's history.

I hope we can share some interesting tidbits, but leave some of the legwork to you, because, that is half the fun of this wonderful medium of ours. Those who have struggled with this concept seem to have inadvertently been exposed by the purity of a story supremely indulgent in superhero comics culture.

MEGAYAKUZA versus SONNY SUMO
Morrison kicks off with a trip to the thoroughly suitable world of Japenese pop culture, suturing social phenomena into the world of superheroes. Here he not only contributes more colourful characters to DC's international landscape, but also consolidates key figures to the story, including Sonny Sumo, who was thrown through time in Jack Kirby's Forever People, becoming stranded in feudal Japan.

In a super-fantastic superhero themed Tokyo club, a comparably unassuming individual walks through the crowd of garrishly coloured teens and wannabes. He is Sonny Sumo -- and on this night, he simply wants a glass of water, with ice.

The legendary hero's presence does not go unnoticed, both by admirers, and those who would seek to gain reputation through his name. Megayakuza -- a towering mecha-suited newbie -- steps up to quite literally challenge Sumo!

Sonny attempts to disuade the armored fighter, suggesting he seek means of competition that will offer a forum of rules to prevent him from killing his challenger. Megayakuza does not take this rebuttle kindly, dousing Sumo's back in a ball of fire spewed forth from his mechanical gauntlets.

Megayakuza learns the hard way exactly what it means to challenge one who wields a portion of the Anti-Life Equation. With his back aflame, Sonny casually finishes his water, before driving his fist through the heart of the mechanical Megayakuza suit -- as well as the man inside of it! He leaves the gurgling muscle on top of his glass and retreats to the men's room. Another victory.

Sonny Sumo's inclusion in Final Crisis had to be one of the more curious elements of the book -- which is saying something! Few would be familiar with the brief appearances of the character in Forever People, where his history as an underground competition fighter was elaborated upon, and he wielded a portion of the Anti-Life Equation that is to eventually spread globally to enslave humanity in Darkseid's name. All part of the unashamed Kirby-worship mentioned earlier in the post. These characters; along with the Shilo Norman-Mr. Miracle, who joins Sonny shortly after this fight; all owe their defining creations to the late comics legend, whose characters provide a throughline for the entire story.

The inclusion of Sonny Sumo might not give twelve year olds warm and fuzzy memories of the Justice League cartoon show, but it introduces them to one of the unique joys of superhero comics. There is an entire multiverse to be explored and absorbed, and as he so often seems to do, Morrison makes good use of it, expanding the horizons of a community that all too often focuses on the United States and it's usual suspects.
[More on Morrison and the (Justice League) International condition].

The Fix: 4.5 The Winner: Sonny Sumo

LT. INSP. DAN TURPIN versus THE MAD HATTER
SCU cop, Dan Turpin, returns to follow strands tugged at by the Question in the previous issue, relating tangentially to the death of Orion. With the issue of people's confusion fresh in mind, I realise that a sentence like that isn't an inclusive way to begin a section of review. It's a deliberate reference to events that occurred in the first issue, and like many good writers, I would respect you enough to expect you to recognise that, and pursue the information as you please. Unfortunately, it isn't available on the site, but if you're persuaded by the information that is presented to pick up Final Crisis, you will have something untainted to extract and appreciate. That's how we do things here.

Returning from digression -- we arrive to find Dan Turpin in the living quarters of one, Jervis Tetch, better known to the staff of Arkham Asylum as, Mad Hatter.

Having already administered a beating, Turpin probes the nervous cuckoo for information on the whereabouts of children kidnapped by the Dark Side Club. This might be a more easily justified scene if Turpin hadn't already discovered the children in the first issue when he came face-to-face with Boss Dark Side -- evil incarnate!

Turpin revels in breaking Tetch's face with his knee, finding an unnerving pleasure in the experience of "... the sound of breath whistling through smashed cartilage..."

Even as Mad Hatter trails blood toward the bathroom with a steady crawl, and Turpin follows, he questions of himself exactly what he is doing. Using a toilet seat as a weapon, he gains the last piece of information he seeks. With sickness rising in his stomach, Turpin finds a direction to move toward: Blüdhaven.
Doubt tells us he knows deep down this isn't about children any more, but what ever it was he was exposed to in the Dark Side Club, it has left him clouded and violent. He's changing from the inside-out, and when he reaches Blüdhaven, he will know his name, and fate, as the god of evil -- Darkseid.

I suppose if you were desperately in need of a conventional arc through which to enjoy Final Crisis, it might be the perception of the tale as Dan Turpin's story. His entry into the first issue is quickly followed up with one of the most significant scenes in the first act, one that firmly establishes the growing of Darkseid's influence, and the return of New Gods, as men. Turpin experiences the story right up to it's conclusion, where he suffers the bullet heard around the multiverse, intended for Darkseid. [More on that when we reach #6!]

The Fix: 5 The Winner: Dan Turpin

ALPHA LANTERN KRAKEN versus GREEN LANTERN STEWART
Found dying on the docks; the New God Orion did his best to deliver ominous final words that could give humanity a fighting chance. Alas; all his death achieves is to lure the presence of the universe's most powerful weapons.

When Dan Turpin passes on the case, it inevitably falls into the jurisdiction of the better equipped intergalactic police corps, the Green Lanterns.
Designates of Earth's Sector, John Stewart and Hal Jordan, are the first to investigate the scene, but a rare instance of deicide demands a flawless investigation. Thus, the Guardians of the Universe deploy their recently instated Corpsman of inhuman incorruptability -- the Alpha Lanterns.

While Batman and the Justice League examine Orion's body during the Alpha Lantern's transit, John Stewart returns to the scene on the advice of Batman to look for further evidence. Stewart receives a brief visit from fellow Corpsman, Opto309V of Sector-2260, who leaves just as Stewart discovers the presence of a fifty-year old radion bullet buried in the concrete beneath Orion's resting place.

Opto isn't the only visitor, however.
Upon completing the analysis of evidence, Stewart's ring begins to fizzle out, leaving him helpless as the Green Lantern is met with a hail of green spikes! They pin him by the wrists to wooden crates lying on the docks.

A heckling cymbal-monkey construct distracts Opto from returning to save his fellow, who gazes upon his disguised attacker with shock! Stewart summons the will that earned him his ring, tearing free of the wooden box behind him, to meet his attacker's hand with a thunderous punch. Even though the blow is caught, and Stewart ultimately incapacitated, his last ditch effort makes it's mark. Literally!

Wonder Woman and Dr. Mid-Nite come to Stewart's aid, while the Alpha Lanterns aprehend their chief suspect in the attack, Hal Jordan. Jordan's history as a vessel for the fear-entity, Parallax, doesn't exactly help establish character, but one would still assume the influence of the New Gods, who have corrupted the once thought incorruptable Alpha Lanterns, is really what's at work here.

Presumably the disguise employed by the true attack (Kraken) was for the benefit of Opto, or any other witnesses to the crime. Admittedly, if you aren't paying attention, this fact might have passed you by, leaving you to blame the crime on another hooded, white-gloved Lantern, such as Taa (of Sector-996).
That said, it isn't long before the facts of the truth are revealed...

The Fix: 4 The Winner: Alpha Lantern Kraken (w/Granny Goodness)

BATMAN versus ALPHA LANTERN KRAKEN
Batman steps into the Final Crisis, appearing opposite Alpha Lantern Kraken who is commandeering Orion's post-mortem investigation. Her alien cynicism toward the capabilities of humans oozes into their tension-filled confrontation reminiscent of a power struggle between rival departments. Whilst jostling for control of the situation, the pair even butt heads on the status of Hal Jordan, whom Batman himself is sceptical about, but keen to defend.

Kraken appears to show a brief moment of weakness, but in fact, this is the true Alpha Lantern shining through the influence of the evil New Gods!
Showing the cracked imprint of John Stewart's ring on her palm, she delivers a slightly cryptic warning not unlike Orion's, declaring their weapons useless to an enemy that is eating her mind.

Batman is quick to act as the alien presence of Granny Goodness regains influence over Kraken. He sounds the alarm, declaring a highest priority alert, while making attempts to subdue the Alpha Lantern whilst requesting backup. Her intricate knowledge of the League's present activities allows her to recognise the prompt response of only Dr. Mid-Nite, whom she assures the Batman, will eternally regret that he failed to arrive in time.

With that; Kraken turns out of Batman's wrist-lock, using her ring to create an alien bug-like creature that administers a crippling nerve pinch to the Dark Knight detective. A mass of energies gathers as Kraken opens a boom tube to carry the falling Batman to the Blüdhaven Factory of Evil.

A well orchestrated conspiracy of circumstances is key to the eventual defeat of Earth's greatest champions. Here, Batman's human frailty is swiftly taken advantage of, even while Wonder Woman's compassion shifts her to a more vulnerable position on the board, and Superman is taken care of by the machinations of Libra (and his access to villains like Clayface).

The Fix: 5 The Winner: Alpha Lantern Kraken (w/Granny Goodness)

The story really unfolds from here as the remaining heroes find themselves, much like the trinity, overwhelmed by forces they neither anticipated, nor recognised.
The dominoes fall as the New Gods pursue their various goals, including the rebirth of Darkseid, whose post-death descent [depicted in DC Universe #0] plays an important role in the deconstruction of time and reality on Earth. A phenomenon that not only disarms the heroes, but the reader as well, who's along for the ride via the chopping pace of Morrison's script, which gives us a grand view of the chaos, but keeps us only so many steps ahead of the characters.

I would've liked to have delved deeper into Final Crisis, but that might be a goal better suited to later reviews. I'd like to think our site is well positioned to at least reveal the basic aspects of the story that made this series an incredibly enjoyable superhero epic on a conventional level. There's more to find on the page, but the value of the tale on a simplistic level was, I feel, one of the most misrepresented aspects of Final Crisis, by critics.

I'll be very interested to hear any of the opinions you might have. I regard the story as a potentially massive moment in the current era of superhero and DC comic books, significant to the definition of a period. If you haven't read it yet, I would recommend considering picking up the upcoming trade collections, or finding the issues cheap from any reader who felt dissatisfied.

Fight Average: 5 The Issue: 6

Final Crisis won't find it's way to collected format until June, but if you're that keen, you can pre-order the hardcover edition, and the companion that collects bonus materials and additional specials, from Amazon! By using purchase links provided on the site, you help sponsor future entries, and no doubt get a valuable reading experience out of it, as well! Future reviews of Final Crisis will no doubt continue to drip filter onto the site throughout the year, so you might like to get caught up on the 2008/2009 epic before we dive deeper!

HULK versus RULK
Blood Red (Marvel)
Where: Hulk #6 When: November 2008
Why: Jeph Loeb How: Ed McGuinness

The Story So Far...
Investigation into the shooting-murder of gamma-irradiated Russian superhuman, Abomination, reveals an unexpected twist: a gun-toting assasin dubbed, Red Hulk!

The powerhouses of the Marvel Universe are drawn into battle as the Red Hulk continues his murderous rampage across the globe! Having defeated regular Hulk grapplers; Iron Man and She-Hulk; the Red Hulk inevitabily comes face-to-face with the original when his battle with a newly transformed Rick Jones, aka; A-Bomb, frees Bruce Banner from a military cell.

In a clash that threatens to destroy San Francisco via the resulting earthquakes, the two Hulks clash in an epic, gamma fuelled showdown.
Shockingly, "Rulk" proves the superior in every respect, over powering and out-fighting his predecessor with bone-shattering results! Fortunately for the city by the bay, the battle attracts the attentions of the Norse god of thunder, Thor! However, even the endless gulf of space fails to contain the fury of Rulk, who defeats and escapes Thor, making an uncontrolled descent to Earth! If Rulk survives his fall back to Earth, the Hulk will be waiting...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Rulk 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Hulk 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Hulk 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Rulk 3 (Explosives)


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

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

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

Hulk has no specific known weaknesses, but is fiercely protective of the few who earn his favour. Though generally good hearted, Hulk is prone to wild rages and varied personalities, particularly provoked by any challenge to the identity of his persona, particularly where matters of his physical dominance are concerned. This provocation comes to the fore when he encounters his red counterpart, "Rulk," with whom he shares an immediate hatred. Hulk is able to sense Rulk at a great distance, detecting his unique gamma radiation.

- The creature known as "Rulk" remains a mystery to the heroes he bedevilled in his early appearances, but his true identity is known to a select few, namely those who helped create him in secret -- Thunderbolt Ross and Doc Samson.

Created into a world that had already survived an intelligent Hulk's declaration of war, and successfully imprisoned a powerless Bruce Banner; Rulk made his debut not battling against the green goliath he was designed to oppose, but rather, in Russia, where he used advanced weaponry to kill Hulk's nemesis, Abomination.
This activity brought Rulk's existence to the attentions of many interested parties, including then-Director of SHIELD, Tony Stark. The Red Hulk subsequently rampaged through Wendigo, Stark's SHIELD Helicarrier, She-Hulk, and Stark himself in his Iron Man guise, before butting heads with A-Bomb (Rick Jones) in a clash that freed and revived Bruce Banner in a familiar child-like state, as Hulk.

Rulk possesses strength, speed, and endurance to rival any of Bruce Banner's transformations, minus any of the customary strength fluctuations associated. Instead, Rulk's rages trigger an increased emission of radiation, and intense heat. Red Hulk also differs in maintaining a cunning intelligence, and combat training, complimentary to his aggressive and sadistic manner.

Math: Draw Ranking: Hulk (#5)

What Went Down...
Emerging from the massive crater caused by his landing, Rulk finds the Hulk waiting eagerly for a rematch. Despite getting the jump on his Red nemesis, Hulk finds the tables quickly turned, having his chokehold countered with a kangaroo-esque dropkick!

Hulk resists his opponent's following advances, declaring his intent with a straight shot to the face and a short uppercut. His simplistic babblings reveal a desire for vengeance, maybe even justice, as according to his own confused perspective. Alas, this grander goal fails to save him from the Red Hulk's persistent bullying.

Rulk brings his massive hands colliding together with Hulk's skull sandwiched between. The devestating blow stuns the green goliath, leaving him wide open to a crossing hook that punctuates Rulk's merciful offer to kill him quickly. It's a threat the raging Rulk might have followed through, if not for an interruption...

Returned from his defeat in space, the mighty Thor lets his blessed hammer, Mjolnir, do the talking for him. With the hammer's enchantments restored by the weight of Earth's gravity, Thor unleashes his full fury upon the Red Hulk, launching an attack with unforgiving blows to the jaw and knee!

A-Bomb, the gamma-mutated Rick Jones, arrives on the scene while Hulk recovers from the blows he already suffered. Watching Thor collide with his newest nemesis, the Hulk declares himself the only one who can beat his crimson doppelganger. It is unclear if his inflection is of capability, or right.

As he so often has throughout his partnership with Bruce Banner/Hulk, Rick Jones provides vital clarity to the jade giant, providing him with a course of deduction that inspires in the simpleton, a strategy!

Hulk launches himself between Thor and Red Hulk, tackling his dark mirror amidst a field of crackling lightning. A-Bomb stays the thunder god's hammer, explaining to him the necessity for Hulk to overcome this challenge alone. Thor reluctantly steps aside, allowing Hulk a final chance at personal redemption.

Having, by his own admission, nearly suffered defeat by Thor's hand, the Red Hulk rallys to once again get the better of his opponent. Rulk delivers a verbal spray, mocking Hulk's inability to strategize in battle, while pounding away at his mid-section with two devestating body blows!

Rulk smoulders a little more with each blow as he unleashes a storm of punches and rage, his irradiated body converting both into radioactive heat. As his body reaches breaking point, the Red Hulk learns a harsh lesson in Hulk's cunning.

Dazed by the build up of heat, Rulk throws a final punch that puts him on the ropes. With that, an enraged and empowered Hulk unleashes the entirety of his strength on an exhausted Rulk that sends the villain hurtling through the air as a result of one single knock-out punch!

Green Hulk is strongest one there is.

The Hammer...
Supplying the vital assist is Thor and A-Bomb, but I give you the last man standing -- Hulk!

As you might've noticed from the post-date, we're continuing our overdue look back on the characters that finished 2008 on top, here on the Infinite Wars. In an effort to speed the process up, we won't be featuring the entire top ten as originally planned.

It's very fitting that we managed to stay on target with the Hulk however, as he's currently starring in Marvel's direct-to-video animated double feature, Hulk Versus. It seems very unlikely that anyone would not know, by now, that the shorts bring Hulk into fully animated battles with two of his classic sparring partners -- Wolverine and Thor.

A site like ours is uniquely primed to appreciate the simplicity of a project like Vs, but the beauty is in the story that goes much farther than a simple case of superhero smackdown. This is where Hulk Vs outshines it's most recent comics counterpart, launched in 2008 with Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness.

Anyone tracking the weekly shipping lists would've seen our excitement for the new series turn quickly to dismay. Hulk has meandered from month-to-month, serving little plot to accompany it's chain of headlining superhero match-ups.
As already mentioned, we are somewhat uniquely skewed to appreciate a series dedicated to the exploits of warring superpowers, but even the Comic Book Fight Club demands more of a story - and battle - than an endless parade of foes.

The greatest crime committed by Loeb is arguably the detachment of the series from events that recently occurred in the Greg Pak event-epic, World War Hulk.
Despite being presented as a similar action-adventure to the current line-up; World War Hulk actually managed to invest in the relationships of characters, exploring aspects that could have potentially redefined the basic landscape of the Hulk universe upon the hero's return from space (Planet Hulk).

More frustrations come from one of the few plot points explored in the series, the secret identity of a new "Red Hulk." Rulk, as he has come to be known, remains obscured from readers, despite promises that by this sixth issue, the truth would be known. Writer Jeph Loeb claims enough information was revealed to make assumptions, but a year later, the series still makes very little effort to come clean with the identity of it's character. This isn't necessarily an inherent problem, but given the series' reliance upon this mystery as it's core story, readers are more than entitled to feel frustrated.

I could not rightly described "Hulk" as a good comic.
Having had a few tastes over the Christmas break, however, I do find myself reassessing because, as frustrating as the construction of the series might be, it isn't necessarily a bad comic, either...

Despite clashing with some of Marvel's most iconic heroes, the entirety of Rulk's contribution lies within the pages of Hulk issues, touching the Marvel Universe in only imaginative ways. Rulk appears curiously comparable to Loeb's 2002 DC creation, Hush, in that they have both been shallow creations bound almost exclusively to the relevance of their initial stories. Not explicitly revealing Rulk's identity might even be a response to the volume of negativty expressed toward Hush's anti-climactic reveal, contrasting Loeb's use of ambiguity in more popular Batman tales, like The Long Halloween.

If I'd been reading all along, I imagine I'd still feel the negativity I had writing previous monthly release blurbs. With only a couple of tastes to go on, however, I find I'm enjoying what I read despite myself. Picking random issues to browse leaves little important information to be pondered, this is obviously a plodding comic of little longterm significance. I don't have all the pieces to try to draw my own conclusions about the status of Rulk's mystery identity, but I also don't feel that's really an interesting enough topic to rectify.

If you're an avid Infinite Wars reader, then you might find the positive.
Observing Marvel's past forty years of superheroes in a context comparable to an oversized fighting competition, we see Rulk in a different light.
He's the young raging bull, fixing to be a contender before any of us are ready to accept him. Part of me wants to go back and track the fights through every issue, just to capture Rulk's meteoric rise through the battling ranks of the Marvel Universe. That, for the time being, is where the value of the character lies.

Ed McGuinness is a joy to behold.
His bold, clean lines compliment the bulky giant-size aspects of Hulk and all of his current supporting characters. I'd be inclined to say he's honed his craft to surpass anything he could've achieved ten years ago, (ie; Deadpool #4).


Unfortunately, I would have to cast some doubt on Dexter Vines, whose inks don't seem to serve the artwork as well as others have. I find I prefer a very slick and confident black on McGuinness' work, but against some colour choices, the blacks look occasionally too heavy handed, and then a little bit liney.

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4

Have an insatiable lust for combat? A morbid curiosity about the Red Hulk's identity? Get the whole story in one gut-busting block with the first trade, available soon! You'll find that, along with many other collections of varying quality, in the Infinite Wars Amazonian Gift Shoppe! By using purchase links provided on the site, you not only benefit from Amazon's service and prices, but also help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars. Which means more fighting! Hey, speaking of which, why not pick-up "Hulk Vs" while you're at it, now on DVD!

QUICK FIX: DR DOOM vs IRON MAN
Time is on No One's Side (Marvel)
Where: Mighty Avengers #10 When: May 2008
Why: Brian Bendis How: Mark Bagley

THE TAPE...
Strength: Iron Man 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Dr. Doom 6 (Genius)
Speed: Iron Man 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Iron Man 4 (Trained)
Energy: Dr. Doom 5 (Lasers)

Math: Iron Man
Ranking: Iron Man (#3)

THE FIX...
Tearing the action away from Manhattan-Central to set heroes up on the West Coast, is a rare enough feat as it is. When it comes to maintaining any sense of global awareness, however, outside of the United States, the task is usually deferred to a short-lived B-list team-up, or one-panel disaster cameo.

Celebrations for the upcoming Super Bowl XLIII remind the world just how insular American culture and markets have the potential to be. Even in these times of harsh economic turmoil, promoters are still investing millions into the annual event, for both the sake of the spectacle, and the advertising spotlight attached during revered half-time commercial breaks.

Times may be changing, but this very American pursuit is a prime example of why US producers have been well within their right to completely forego the rest of the planet, relying exclusively on their immediate target. The Dark Knight might have broken records worldwide, but it's by the success within America's competitive home market that the film earnt the crux of recognition.

The critical among us might cast aspersions about the men controlling the four-colour world, to say nothing of the general ignorance of an American readership. A more fruitful option, however, might be the 'no-prize' route! While much less likely to abolish racial stereotypes in fiction, it does offer a slightly more positive spin on the narrow perspective of superheroes within their US foundation...

I can only imagine the sheer decadence of multi-million dollar Super Bowl commercials is exactly the kind of thing that riles Dr. Doom during foreign policy season. For a gypsy boy who fought his way to the throne of his tiny European nation; such frivilous exploits simply do not compute!

Dr. Doom represents a quintessential example of the comic book villain.
His story intertwines with his nemesis' to create a dark shadow of his heroic counterpart, in his case, Reed Richards. Adding that pop twist is the fact that he's two things Americans love to hate: devestatingly brilliant, and European.

Back in Stan and Jack's day there might've been a few vaguely legitimate tensions between Rogers and the boys that made Europeans convenient villains. In previous discussions we've referred to the continued honor of this tradition as iconographic detachment from modern reality -- a continuation of a language.
That "positive spin" I mentioned earlier?... Well, okay, strip away the soft racism, and there's another decent enough logic for European villains: geography!

With all the superheroes located in the US, setting up an evil headquarters in Europe dramatically increases the odds of evading reprive, particularly if you've fled the scene in order to live free to scheme another day!

Actually; in describing some of his original intentions for the character, Stan Lee discusses simple concepts that contribute to the complex nature of the villain in the modern era. He hoped to explore the prospect of a villain whose foreign diplomacy rendered him immune to enforcement of the laws he was breaking.
It's a premise that has since been buried beneath a multitude of motivations and identities shared between Victor Von Doom and his 'Doombot doppelgangers.'

As the Marvel Universe has developed and matured alongside real world politics, one assumes any political immunity Dr. Doom once possessed, was lost amidst the introduction of expansive anti-terror laws. Not that you'd really know.
Unfortunately, to clarify some of the criticisms levelled earlier in the post, the Marvel Universe exists as a fictional entity almost exclusively represented by events taking place on American soil. Despite being one of the most prolific figures in Marvel's army of characters, it has simply been unfeasible for every plausible moment of the Marvel saga to pass through the filter of Doom.

Compensating for this are the unelaborated mysterious liasons, and the rogue robots, who not only attempt to throw a canopy of fog over the specifics of Doom's operations, but also account for some of those unfortunately characterization issues that have dogged him.

All of the issues discussed here might be about to get a serious rethink, it seems, and that brings us to our long overdue quick fix entry!

Doom, a consumate planner, has devised a catalogue of strategies suited to dealing with his powerful American opposers. Amongst his arsenal, a "symbiote bomb" filled with the same species of alien creature that empowers Venom.

When the satellite carrying his contingency is detonated above New York City, it plunges the streets into chaos, forcing members of the Avengers to do battle with monstrous versions of their outlaw counterparts [New Avengers #36].
Fingered for his responsibility, Dr. Doom finds himself defending his castle stronghold from invasion by Iron Man and the Mighty Avengers!

During the battle, Doom's showdown with Iron Man (and the Sentry) accidentally triggers his time portal, shunting the trio sometime into the past. Enraged, Doom lashes out at his armored nemesis, calling upon his master of science and magic to unleash devestating energy blasts!

Iron Man's extremis defenses protect him from the initial assault, while both suits of armor mak attempts to gain a technological or intelligence-based advantage over the other. Both men find their silent war a stalemate as the advanced programming of their suits meets equally adequate firewall software. The exchange gives Stark, Director of SHIELD, the opportunity to exercise his politics, cooling Doom long enough to agree to a truce.

This truce leads the pair to seek out the aid of the Sentry in gaining access to technology withheld in this time by Mr. Fantastic and the Fantastic Four. The end result of that scenario can be explored further in a previous review.

These events coincided with that unfortunate "Secret Invasion" business, which revealed an army of super-powered Skrulls hiding on Earth. Though seemingly irrelevant, this shamble of an event led to Dark Reign, which allowed Norman Osborn to capitalize on Tony Stark's Skrull-disabled technologies to replace him as Director of SHIELD (retooled as HAMMER).

Like Secret Invasion's prospect of exploring Skrulls with the benefit of hindsight; Dark Reign positions a major villain in power, bringing with it varied implications for the Universe, including secret cabal members; Dr. Doom, Sub-Mariner, Emma Frost, Loki, and the Hood. These implications promise to enhance that world perspective that has so long been absent from the core of Marvel comics, and from Dr. Doom's representation as a guest-character.

Hold off on the celebrations!
While Marvel insists Dark Reign isn't an "event," the concept behind the branding appears to be fairly central to Secret Invasion front-man, Brian Bendis. With DR borrowing heavily from a previous concept, (Acts of Vengeance), one can't help but predict a third strike following on from his AoA/HR knock-off - House of M - and the Skrull event. Also a concern, the writer's ability to offer a satisfactory treatment of highly intelligence characters, and the fulfillment of the concept.

It's been very easy to be critical of both the writer, and Marvel, in recent years, but the devil deserves his due. The stars are lined up for something special in 2009 from Marvel, and if they've learnt what they seem to have from the non-event of Invasion, we might be in for one heckuva rollercoaster. One that puts to bed the kinds of criticisms that sponsored our slightly esoteric opening.

This post continues our recap of last year's top ten characters, spotlighting Iron Man, even if our discussion deviated to Dr. Doom. Iron Man is currently on the run and at the mercy of Norman Osborn (and Dr. Doom) in Dark Reign. Stay tuned!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5.5
Winner: Draw

Mighty Avengers #10 proved to be an extremely positive issue! For more on that, check out our previous review -- featuring a clash between the Sentry and Thing! Want to get the rest of the story, or draw your own conclusions? The "Venom Bomb" and it's aftermath appears collected in two seperate trades (pictured above). By using Amazon and the purchase links provided, you'll not only pick up a great deal, but also help sponsor future entries of the Infinite Wars. Collections featuring most previous issues reviewed are also available for your convenience in our very own Gift Shoppe! So do us a favour, by doing yourself a favour!