WRECKING CREW versus DEADPOOL, SPIDER-MAN & PUNISHER

(Marvel)
Where: Deadpool: Suicide Kings #5 When: October 2009 Why: Mike Benson & Adam Glass How: Carlo Barberi

The Story So Far...
A standard job for the Merc' with a Mouth becomes a battle for life & death as a hit on Tombstone turns in to a double-or-nothing bet that Deadpool won't survive the next twenty-four hours!

It's the high-stakes gamble of client Conrad O'Shea: who's counting on his mercenary to escape a frame-up for blowing up his apartment building, and the heroes who responded to take him down.

Fortunately for Deadpool; Daredevil helps convince The Punisher and Spider-Man of his innocence -- providing the patsy some much-needed assistance when Tombstone sics his newest bodyguards on him -- The Wrecking Crew!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: The Wrecker 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thunderball 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-Man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: The Wrecker 6 (Generator)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Punisher 4 (Trained)
Energy: Punisher 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Spider-Man 29 (Metahuman)

My X (nee Twitter) feed recently threw an interesting critique my way that piqued my interest -- so it's about time we expanded the file on The Wrecking Crew!

The Wrecking Crew are: The Wrecker, Piledriver, Thunderball, and Bulldozer.

They aren't just a pack of my favourite goons and yours -- they're a super heavyweight team possessing powerful weapons that were enchanted with Asgardian magic!

This enchantment was first bestowed upon petty burglar Dirk Garthwaite, when Karnilla the Norn Queen mistook him for Loki, during a home invasion and robbery of the Norse god's New York abode. The crook soon decided to share the wealth, recruiting three of his pals into a deadly team of powerhouse thugs!

At first, sharing his power drastically reduced The Wrecker's super-human strength and stamina, but over the years, all of The Crew have found ways to become powered-up opponents for the mighty Thor, as well as other major heroes of the Marvel Universe.

This was the source of Jered McCorkle's assertion that recently losing to Daredevil & Elektra was a career low for The Wrecker -- and despite being a personal favourite, we've only briefly touched upon the misdeeds of The Wrecker and his Crew. Something we aim to correct today!

The Wrecking Crew were the first opponents for The Thunderbolts when the villains-in-disguise went public. Citizen V showed that agility and fighting prowess were sufficient to tangle with The Wrecker, but it took the strength of Atlas to truly deal any damage. A concentrated gas delivered straight to the gullet by Mach-V and Songbird was ultimately responsible for putting most of the team down.

It was a different story when The Wrecking Crew were challenged by a lone Sasquatch, however. The gamma-irradiated hero put up a pretty good fight without his Alpha Flight teammates, but was ultimately out-numbered, out-muscled, and brutally beaten.

So, what do these two cases tell us? That The Wrecking Crew are double-tough, but not untouchable. Citizen V made the best case for surviving a wild mismatch with guile and agility -- something Deadpool and Spider-Man both possess.

We know Spidey can fight above his weight class, having lived to tell the gale after going toe-to-toe with the Hulk. We've even seen him outwit the Juggernaut not once, but twice -- with a little help from Wonder Woman!

Wouldn't you know, but Deadpool has achieved fairly similar feats as well! He defeated Hulk under slightly special circumstances for the jolly green goliath, and likewise survived Juggernaut long enough to get an assist from Siryn for the win!

Mach-V shows us that The Wrecking Crew aren't necessarily impervious to the threat of high-powered inhalants, which is the kind of all-purpose tactical weapon you might find in The Punisher's arsenal. He isn't there at the start of the fight, but will show up soon enough - and you know he isn't afraid to fight dirty!

Punisher isn't afraid to use the weapons of the enemy in his one-man war on crime. He may or may not be able to find a magically charmed option to best The Wrecker, but we know he levelled Rhino with the Satan Claw, and took down a cadre of super-villains, including Mister Hyde, with a stolen Ant-Man helmet and alien guns!

We clearly need more data, and since reviewing & analyzing fights is kinda what we do around here, let's dive in and find out how the street-level heroes fare!

The Tape: The Wrecking Crew Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...

Deadpool & Spider-Man find themselves facing an unexpected, Asgardian-powered roadblock in their chase of Tombstone -- also known as The Wrecking Crew!

The Wrecker figures any one of them could handle "these stinkin' pipsqueaks" alone, but that won't stop the Merc' with a Mouth and his web-swinging cohort making the quartet earn it. The Crew are happy to oblige.

Bulldozer gets the fight started by charging at a leaping Spider-Man, while Thunderball swings his deadly ball & chain into an impact right at Deadpool's feet! Only the sole of one red boot is visible, but it's safe to say Carlo Barberi knows what he's doing when it comes to drawing anatomy past the ankle.

Spidey's an old hand at vaulting over charging powerhouses, but his leap takes him right into the path of The Wrecker -- whose enchanted crowbar smacks him high into the air and out of the park! [It's actually a construction site.]

Deadpool admires the shot with katana drawn, grateful that it wasn't him who was launched into the sky. Alas, he has no spider-sense to warn him of Bulldozer coming back around to run right through him with a rear assault!

The helmeted headbutt to the spine adjusts the mercenary across the battlefield, but he manages to make a neat landing -- and narrowly avoids being clobbered by Thunderball's ball, awkwardly dragging himself clear of the impact!

The dodge becomes a full frontal assault as Deadpool twists his body to bring the end of his blade arcing towards Piledriver -- but the overhead strike is caught between his enchanted hands. The Wrecker does the honors from there.

An enchanted crowbar smashes Deadpool in the face -- and for a moment he's knocked so silly he drifts into another plane of existence. A simpler reality, where dinner's getting cold and it's a Wednesday -- time for reading new issues.

As Deadpool groans in a crumpled mess -- Spidey comes plummeting back down to Earth with an unceremonious "wwhhhaamp".

Wrecker hoists Deadpool's mangled body by the collar and dangles him for Bulldozer to run armored head to chest right through him again. "The Wrecking Crew's tangled with Norse gods. You sissies never had a rat's ass chance."

Things look grim as Bulldozer encourages Piledriver to finish him, but a couple of well-placed web balls send the bruiser's left hook off course into The Wrecker's face!

Back on his feet and ready to rumble - Spidey blasts The Wrecker's eyes with web and his ears with an innuendo that would make Aunt May blush.

The quipping heroes go back to back and prepare for the riled-up Wrecking Crew to bring the fight to them. They compare notes on the Lethal Weapon franchise and The Warriors references as they brace for battle when suddenly -- a third player enters the fray with a powerful energy beam and focused sonic blast!

Bulldozer and Piledriver tumble destructively through the construction site as The Punisher arrives on a Goblin Glider with the Unicorn Power Horn still smoldering at his forehead, and one of Klaw's sonic disruptor blasters on his right hand!

He swoops over the two heroes with pumpkin bombs at the ready, tossing a trio of the explosives at The Wrecker and Thunderball. They're quickly engulfed in thick green gas, but remain unimpressed by the "minor league wannabes".

Spider-Man clues them in that Hobgoblin's "jack-o'-lanterns pack enough knockout gas to put down a herd of elephants."

The Wrecker hangs his head and drops to his knees as Thunderball falls face first to the ground. Deadpool sees that Wrecker joins his teammate, turning the enchanted crowbar against him with a smack to the face!

The Hammer...

In this house we love The Wrecking Crew, so when a doubt about a recent battle between The Wrecker and Daredevil & Elektra [in Daredevil (Vol.8) #24] came across my feed -- I was already primed to want to explore the subject more.

Daredevil himself was actually a part of this little 'Deadpool Team-Up' in earlier issues of Deadpool: Suicide Kings, but he manages to skip out on this chapter, remaining elsewhere until the fighting's over. By that time, the battle has moved on to another of my personal favourite bad guys: the man who hired The Wrecking Crew and essentially started this whole mess -- Tombstone!

So, while we couldn't quite source an exact comparison to The Wrecker's most recent indignity; Deadpool, The Punisher, and Spider-Man provide an interesting case study for street-level heroes taking The Wrecking Crew down.

It's interesting to note that Suicide Kings ostensibly repeats the same strategy that took The Wrecker down in Thunderbolts #1 -- one of the few previous entries we've actually recorded for the villain and his teammates.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any significant earlier examples of knockout gas taking The Wrecker and his crew down. I wonder if writers Mike Benson and/or Adam Glass were influenced by the earlier T-Bolts issue, or just reached a similar conclusion for dispatching them. Perhaps we'll discover a pattern of vulnerability as we explore their various misdeeds in future updates.

I have a few Wrecker battles that have been burning up my desk over the years, but in those examples we'll establish more of the heavyweight brawling he's best known for. Not a lot of tactical tranquilizer gas in those issues, as I recall.

Obviously to address the claim in the inspiring tweet - I'd have to look at that particular issue, but one of the functions of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is to provide abundant reference for historical precedent, and tangential examples. These records can support or dispute a result - real or imagined. Something that the current trend of so-called "AI" isn't necessarily so good at...

When I asked Google if The Wrecker had succumbed to gas in any Marvel Comics, its "AI" result claimed he hadn't. We know that's not true. We now have two very clear examples of that. You might like to keep that in mind next time you're looking for answers to comic book questions, or genuine 100% man-made sources to support. There's a Patreon for that, and I'd really appreciate it.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has supplied an archive of well over 700 in-depth results & reviews -- ranking more than 1,000 of your favourite characters in the process! You can find them all, and flex your mind muscle, by diving in to the Secret Index for a complete appendix in order of publisher, series, and issue.

I'd also encourage you to live life to the fullest, expanding your horizons and feeding your curiosity, with a rich diet of links to your favourite topics. You can find them throughout most entries on the site. It's a great way to see if I've come back to something interesting, or ventured into new & exciting tangents.

In the spirit of this latest entry -- I'd like to dig in to the other side of the equation. There are a lot of Daredevil and Elektra battles still waiting to be reviewed, but I have a particular example in mind that revisits Daredevil's penchant for tackling much bigger & stronger foes, from an era I've been taking an interest in. It'll be another good comparison for the fight with The Wrecker.

Of course, I presume part of the inciting social media grievance isn't just who defeated The Wrecker - but how.

It's fair to say not all comics are created equal, and I tend to be prone to sharing skepticism about the quality of editorial consistency in more recent issues. It doesn't seem like every writer and editor knows their stuff, or respects the process of building on the past with consistency and restraint, to create enduring iconic characters, and a cohesively developed shared universe.

2009 is a year I look back upon very fondly, but it's also one of the last years that I enjoyed consistent interest and enthusiasm for comics published by Marvel and DC. In my estimation, it's around then that the wheels start getting shaky, the stories are a little hit & miss, and the quality just isn't always there. [Something I'm willing to challenge through actual hands-on reviews, mind you...]

So where does Suicide Kings fit into that? Well, it does feel awfully convenient to dispatch bad guys who regularly throw down with Thor with a little gas, but it's delivered in the spirit of fun, and I don't feel that my intelligence, or the characters themselves, are being insulted by this. Their threat level is well represented, and barring any uncited contradiction, I don't really see any reason their enchantments should protect them from hostile inhalants beyond a general enhanced resistance -- something The Wrecker kinda demonstrated.

We could quibble minor details, like whether or not Spidey should be reduced to a purple stain by The Wrecker's crowbar, but let's just chalk it up to Spidey-senses, fast reaction times, and agile rolling with the "punches". Relax. Sometimes the needs of the story are what actually determines the outcome, and the mountain of overwhelming odds provided by powerhouse villains like The Wrecking Crew exists purely to be overcome. That's just fine and dandy. Get a hold of yourself.

Incidentally, Google's AI did suggest a 2010 episode of the Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes animated series, where The Wrecking Crew endures a gaseous dome of gamma irradiation without any issues. It's a series I'm familiar with and enjoyed very much, but wouldn't look to for precedent, because as we all know, adaptations are secondary sources, and prone to playing things fast and loose. Fans concerned with the degradation of The Wrecking Crew need only look at the barely recognisable group seen in Disney+'s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Just don't be deranged about it. Alright? Focus. Don't be strange.

Looking more broadly: I was a fast fan of Deadpool in the nineties and got a real kick out of his first on-going series with Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness. Their combination of tights and comedy was a real blast, and set the ship off to a cult favourite start. The character got a little obnoxious throughout the 2000s, but I found Suicide Kings a pretty decent levelling out.

Deadpool: Suicide Kings #5 appeals to me very specifically with the four main heroes, and focus on The Wrecking Crew and Tombstone. Made that much more appealing by Carlo Barberi's clean pencils, and slick inks & colour from Sandu Florea and Marte Gracia, whom I'm assured aren't pseudonyms.

As someone who's enjoys it when Punisher is more than a psycho with sidearms -- I love the absurd visual and fitting tone of him cruising in on a stolen Goblin Glider, wearing Unicorn's suit & headgear, with a Klaw hand and lobbing Hobgoblin pumpkin bombs. A superb way to level the playing field and have a whole lot of freakin' fun.

The five issue mini isn't going to be a definitive representation for any of these characters, or one of the must-read tomes from Marvel, but if you're familiar with the characters, or curious to dip your toe in with no strings attached, it's a raucous ride through the borderland between organized crime and super-villainy. Worth your time -- and worth us coming back to in the future.

So what more do you need? I think I've covered all the bases and made this the most boring thing you've read all day! My work here is done!

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Winners: The Punisher & Deadpool (w/ Spider-Man)
#55 (+33) The Punisher
#21 (+2) Deadpool
#2 (--) Spider-Man [+1 assist]
#439 (-47) The Wrecker
#440 (-47) Piledriver
#443 (-29) Thunderball
#444 (-29) Bulldozer

SOLOMON GRUNDY versus MOLLY MAYNE & THE GREEN LANTERN

Took Ill on a Thursday (DC)
Where: Solomon Grundy #4 When: August 2009
Why: Scott Kolins How: Scott Kolins

The Story So Far...
In the 19th century, Gotham City was home to a wicked soul named Cyrus Gold. Responsible for murder and misery, he was cursed upon death to forever rise from his unmarked resting place in Slaughter Swamp as the beast Solomon Grundy!

Caught in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, the shambling monster is forever drawn to new acts of evil as an unstoppable undead creature - until now..?

A mysterious force has given Cyrus Gold seven days to end his curse, but dark forces conspire to prolong the agony of Solomon Grundy! He was bedeviled by The Demon, delayed by Bizarro, and vexed by Poison Ivy. Now a taunting voice draws him into the suburbs to find the source of his greatest enemy's power!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Solomon Grundy 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Green Lantern 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Green Lantern 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Green Lantern 27 (Metahuman)

Solomon Grundy's on the warpath, but we already know all about that: We've tracked his cursed movements through Killer Croc, The Demon, Bizarro, and Poison Ivy. You're probably a lot more curious to know who Molly Mayne is!

In today's battle she's the suburban second wife of the Green Lantern, but in a former existence she was better known as the original Harlequin!

Her costumed alter-ego was an attempt to get closer to Green Lantern by becoming his criminal target. Romantic aspirations meant Harlequin's crimes were never too severe, and she eventually joined the side of angels, before marrying her super-hero sweetheart in the pages of Infinity Inc.

Harlequin's hypnotic glasses probably could've been an effective tool against Solomon Grundy, but the mature-aged retiree hasn't used her gear in quite some time. Good thing GL's Starheart battery has tipped him off to the trouble at home!

We saw the Golden Age Green Lantern school his younger counterpart, Guy Gardner, in the pages of Justice Society of America #9, and he even briefly slowed Superboy-Prime in the Sinestro Corps War epic of Green Lantern #25!

Unfortunately, this Green Lantern's power ring has a weakness to objects made of wood -- which allows the swamp-borne Solomon Grundy to cause all kinds of trouble. He used a tree to smash right through GL's construct in JSA #65!

Although incredibly strong, Solomon Grundy is often a lumbering and slow-witted opponent who can be out-smarted, or even out fought. The latter was the case for Stargirl & Jakeem Thunder in JSA #29, and the otherwise challenged trio of Hawkman, Hawkgirl & Monolith in Hawkman #33.

Grundy is coming off a win against Poison Ivy in today's story, but Green Lantern and the former Harlequin should be industrious enough to come up with ways of defeating. It all just depends on GL getting there in time!

The Tape: Green Lantern Ranking: Green Lantern (#90)

What Went Down...

The entrance to the Scott residence is reduced to splinters as Solomon Grundy explodes through the front door -- smashing his way inside!

Molly Mayne recoils with understandable panic, but she's no ordinary suburban housewife. Even as a fearful tear trickles down her cheek, the former Harlequin steels herself with unique life experience, and rushes deeper into the house.

Slamming a door behind her buys precious seconds as Molly scrambles to rummage through a very specific drawer.

Grundy's massive fist comes crashing through the door right behind her, but she's already found what she was desperately looking for! She discharges the hidden weapon -- punching a hole clean through Grundy's rotting chest!

For a moment the beast looks down at the smoking cavity in his torso -- then swats Molly aside through nearby architecture with the back side of his hand.

Grundy's true target is quickly uncovered by hulking hands that tear through cupboard woodwork like it was paper.

Inside: the glowing green lantern that is the source of his oldest enemy's power!

As the monster reaches for the lantern shaped battery it begins to radiate with burning green energy. The light speaks to him through a familiar oath: "Beware my power!"

Solomon Grundy fights against the energy, grasping for the awesome artifact as if incensed by its powerful resistance. He shouts defiantly that he isn't afraid -- raising the lantern above his head as it spews blinding light all around him!

The monster brings the lantern violently crashing against the ground.

The impact is so strong it causes parts of the house to collapse over a stunned Molly Mayne!

Grundy barely even notices the collateral damage of his outburst. His determined focus remains solely on the lantern itself, now held in the palm of his right hand as he lets out an angry yell.

The furious behemoth brings both his hands smashing together around the lantern and presses with all his unearthly might! He vows to crush it!

Reaching out across the county to Slaughter Swam: the Starheart battery speaks to Alan Scott through his power ring. Alerted to the attack, Scott's mind immediately flashes to the imminent danger threatening his wife.

With the ring hoisted above his head, Green Lantern blazes a trail through the night sky! He flies as fast as he ever has, willing his wife to hold on. Willing himself to make it there before it's too late!

Molly stirs and speaks her husband's name, all the while Grundy continues to squeeze harder and harder around the Green Lantern's power battery. It begins to illicit a small, harsh clicking. Then in a terrible instant -- the lantern shatters!

The awesome explosion of power reduces the Scott residence to rubble -- but high above the smoldering crater is The Green Lantern himself! He cradles his wife, bruised & battered, but safe in the aura of his glowing energy!

The hero slings a green containment field over an unconscious Solomon Grundy and makes a beeline for the nearest hospital. The awful truth doesn't begin to set in until the hero starts to feel dizzy with Gotham Metropolitan Hospital in sight...

The Hammer...
Green Lantern has to make a crash landing outside the hospital as his power ring begins to fizzle and fade. The Starheart literally bids him a fond farewell, lamenting the time it enjoyed sharing with him.

Things look about as bad as they can for ol' Alan Scott, but don't worry too much. This isn't the end of the Golden Age Green Lantern.

Next issue he'll need to get a ride from Gotham Metropolitan back to his house in the suburbs, but once he's made that trip, GL will magically reassemble the shattered lantern to restore his powers and status quo.

I've got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand: it's very refreshing, particularly these days, to see a fundamental threat to a hero's existence resolved after only one issue. It's basically a good old fashioned superhero cliffhanger.

On the other hand: this is a cliffhanger based on the lie of a false peril.

You could argue that most perils to a franchise superhero are "false" because they will assuredly prevail in the end. However, what separates the good from the bad is the preservation of that threat, and the agency of the hero to resolve it.

Rather than prevent or see through this crisis with an act of heroic ingenuity -- GL literally resolves it with a simple wave of his hands.

It quickly becomes apparent, next issue, that the threat was never real. The sentimental goodbye from his ring was an illogical, maudlin act of manipulating the reader. An unsatisfying cheat in what feels like a sagging middle issue.

I don't want to judge this issue too harshly. The high-concept thrill of the Solomon Grundy series is a gauntlet of battles through some of DC's other eerie and monstrous characters. It doesn't really need to be much more complicated than that, but even by those basic terms, Solomon Grundy #4 struggles to satisfy.

Alan Scott's power battery just cannot live up to the role of being this issue's title bout. It isn't an entirely inanimate object, but dialogue and colour-tinting can't distract from the fact it's Solomon Grundy wrestling with a novelty lamp. Remember this one?

It might've been fun to see Molly Mayne break out her old Harlequin gear as a lantern-assisted feature opponent. A chase similar to Uncanny X-Men #143, with Grundy taking the role of the N'Garai Demon, could've been fun. Otherwise, the obvious solution is to just bring Green Lantern into the fray right at the start for an obligatory throwdown between classic adversaries.

Fortunately, this issue sets up another exciting opponent for the following issue. A shadowy cameo by Professor Ivo spells the imminent arrival of Amazo, who'll be deployed to take revenge for a failed team-up in a recent Justice League story.

Issue #4 also revisits the torment of Cyrus Gold, whose murder in 1885 set in motion his unending curse to rise from Slaughter Swamp as Solomon Grundy.

Cyrus soon finds himself back in the swamp, where he unexpectedly pulls the knife that killed him from the very same swamp Green Lantern had earlier been sent to search. This in turn triggers memories of the many lives he had claimed.

Mournfully regretting his life of sin, Cyrus is visited by a vision of the Phantom Stranger who guides him to find and forgive his killer if he wants to successfully end the curse. Some will remember we discuss The Stranger's presence way back at the start of the series.

If you want to read it all for yourself you might be lucky enough to find a collected edition via the Amazon link provided. Doing any shopping via these links helps support the site at no extra cost to you! If you don't see it, you may need to add permissions to blocking software.

We're slowly but surely working our way through the macabre saga. If you'd like to revisit previous chapters you should start with Faces of Evil: Solomon Grundy, then work your way through the links listed after Solomon Grundy in the Secret Archive. That's where you'll find every featured fight indexed alphabetically in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 650 battles and ranked more than 950 characters! If you appreciate what it's all about and want to see these chronicles continue into the future you can join the fight on Patreon. As a thank you you'll unlock additional updates, polls, and custom articles.

You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook to receive daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day. Don't forget to like and share!

It was tough to render a decision in today's battle, but I'm coming down on the side of a draw. Grundy may've swatted Molly Mayne aside and shattered the lantern, but its temporary destruction also knocked him out cold and left him bloodied. A moot result, with Green Lantern showing up in time to assist his wife.

Winner: Draw
#145 (--) Solomon Grundy
#459 (new) Harlequin (Molly Mayne)
#90 (--) Green Lantern (Alan Scott) [+1 assist]

SOLOMON GRUNDY versus POISON IVY

Married On A Wednesday (DC)
Where: Solomon Grundy #3 When: July 2009
Why: Scott Kolins How: Scott Kolins

The Story So Far...
In the 19th century, Gotham City was home to a wicked soul named Cyrus Gold. Responsible for murder and misery, he was cursed upon death to forever rise from his Slaughter Swamp grave as the beast Solomon Grundy!

Caught in an endless cycle of death and rebirth, the shambling monster is forever drawn to new acts of evil as an unstoppable undead creature - until now..?

A mysterious force has given Cyrus Gold seven days to end his curse, but dark forces conspire to prolong the agony of Solomon Grundy! He was bedeviled by The Demon and delayed by Bizarro, but after surviving his most recent battle, Cyrus Gold replaces his monstrous alter-ego in the clutches of Poison Ivy!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Solomon Grundy 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Poison Ivy 5 (Professor)
Speed: Solomon Grundy 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Solomon Grundy 6 (Generator)
Agility: Poison Ivy 2 (Average)
Fighting: Solomon Grundy 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Poison Ivy 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Solomon Grundy 23 (Champion)

Solomon Grundy's been having a tough run on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. Despite his formidable undead strength, he's routinely come up against bruisers who've managed to match or defeat him! Monolith, The Demon, and Bizarro all went the distance! Only Killer Croc succumbed to his brutal rampage!

Today's opponent is a very different breed, but will that mean victory for Solomon Grundy -- or just a new way to die?

Poison Ivy isn't traditionally known for her physical strength or fighting abilities. Her command of rare and exotic plant toxins means she can often avoid combative situations altogether, holding superior combatants in her thrall.

She was able to manipulate Superman into helping her defeat Catwoman in Batman #611. When she set him upon Batman in the following Batman #612, The Dark Knight had to fight dirty to capitalize on Superman's lingering resistance, successfully shaking him out of his trance by endangering Lois Lane!

Good help can be hard to find, so Poison Ivy will often simply grow an army of hostile plant life. Various mutant strains of flytraps and vines are common in her arsenal, though not always effective. Hawkgirl used arrow heads to easily prune back her deadly garden in Justice League of America #15.

Grundy started out as an arch-enemy for the original Green Lantern, whose power ring was ineffective against things made of wood [see; JSA #65]. Grundy himself has been shown to be resistant to GL's energy, apparently due to his undead body being partially composed of wood from Slaughter Swamp!

If Grundy contains wood matter then he could be uniquely susceptible to Poison Ivy's influence! However, it's been suggested that Ivy is connected with the living energies of "The Green", while Grundy is of the deathly "Grey". If he's literally dead wood that may sway the battle back in his favour.

New developments in the Solomon Grundy curse mean he arrives at this battle in the unconscious form of Cyrus Gold. As a man, he may still be vulnerable to Ivy's usual array of mind-altering toxins. It's difficult to say what would happen to Solomon Grundy, given his mystic nature, and dim-witted demeanor.

The Tape: Solomon Grundy Ranking: Poison Ivy (#373)

What Went Down...
Awakening from the nightmare of his restless victims in 1881 Slaughter Swamp; Cyrus Gold finds he is living a whole new horror in the modern day. Limp and bleeding from the nose, he is suspended by thorn & vine before Poison Ivy!

She toys with a torturous death for destroying her green house sanctuary, but instead opts to enslave the anonymous man with a kiss. Her toxins flood his mind with subservience and he receives the order: deliver a package to her enemy and destroy their toxic factory.

With duffel bag in hand, Cyrus Gold heads for the door, but something holds him back. In his mind echoes the fateful curse, "Born on a Monday". He turns, eyes turning red, and although his wiry body remains unchanged, his is once again transformed into the unrelenting monster that is Solomon Grundy!

Ivy is bemused by the raggedy man who defies her influence, insisting: "No one tells Solomon Grundy what to do!"

Gold's appearance belies his true nature, but it never the less manifests as he lunges toward his captor, snatching her by the throat as he pushes her through the broken wooded frame and glass of the shattered greenhouse.

A massive animated tree sprouts from nearby greenery, reaching out with thorny vines and branches to rescue its master. Barbed limbs wrap around Gold's throat and body, but the black evil and decay of Solomon Grundy sends the tree recoiling in horror!

Gold snatches at the wood and leaves, infecting them with a wave of death that carries through the entire garden! His powerful grey reduces the once lush and fertile sanctuary to a barren landscape of dry, rotting wood!

With everything dead -- the man who would be Solomon Grundy turns his attentions to Poison Ivy. She kneels in pained dismay at the centre of her desolate garden, unable to fathom the cause of such destruction.

Grundy returns the kiss to his short-lived enslaver and at last Poison Ivy realizes the terrible truth: the man before her is Solomon Grundy!

She sheds a tear as the leaves covering her body begin to die, and she wilts into unconsciousness in Cyrus Gold's arms. Her limp hand inadvertently falls to rest against the duffel bag at his feet, beginning a quiet ticking that counts down to their apparent doom!

The rooftop area explodes -- but neither is destroyed. Ivy's naked body is deposited prone on a turning staircase, out of reach of the destruction. An open door at the base reveals an unlikely act of rescue by the killer Solomon Grundy!

The Hammer...
Halloween is fast approaching, which can only mean the curse of Solomon Grundy descends once more to terrorize Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

It's been an annual tradition to revisit the classic villain in October, slowly working our way through the gauntlet of his eponymous mini-series!

It's staggering to think it's now been more than ten years since the terror first began -- and we aren't even halfway!

Solomon Grundy is seven issues unto itself, but was also preceded by a Faces Of Evil Special, and two very fun additional issues that spilled into Superman/Batman. I hope to cover them all!

So far we've seen Grundy take down Killer Croc, go two rounds with The Demon in issues #1 & #2, and butt heads with Bizarro in issue #3.

That particularly savage sewer showdown with Killer Croc was also the last time we saw Grundy secure a victory. He may have an intimidating visage, but the hulking swamp-zombie hasn't fared well against the opening cavalcade of demons and monsters coming his way.

Despite the titular villain's struggles, these slugfests have provided the primary thrills so far. However, the series takes a slight turn with Solomon Grundy #3.

Poison Ivy clearly presents a far less monstrous menace than the rest. She plays to the more obscure thematic intrigue of beauty versus beast, and a plant-commanding villainess against a wood-logged swamp zombie.

I pondered the possibility of Poison Ivy being uniquely suited to manipulating Solomon Grundy earlier in the Tape section, but it's fair to say we didn't really get a conclusive answer from this battle.

Grundy remained in the mortal form of Cyrus Gold throughout the fight, which means the tradition of his body possessing wood-matter from Slaughter Swamp didn't really present itself.

Poison Ivy also didn't really appreciate who she was dealing with until it was much too late. By then, her garden gazebo was already reduced to a cursed crop of death. It could be argued Grundy himself is literal dead wood and she wouldn't have governance over him, anyhow. That's probably the case, but their loose elemental affiliation is a nice idea to think about.

It mustn't be forgotten that there are mysterious forces working behind the events of the series. The ticking clock is counting down to Blackest Night, with each issue representing another lost day. Grundy's presence as a figure of death and "The Grey" does well to allude to this fact, even though it isn't yet explicit.

I appreciate the vague relationship the series, and its week-long quest, has with the Solomon Grundy nursery rhyme, as well.

Poison Ivy's penchant for planting a kiss on her victims is probably about as convincing an allusion to our monstrous Grundy being wed on Wednesday as you're going to get. I presume that was a Scott Kolins flourish, providing a smooth transition from the previous issue's impact zone and plant pot joke.

I continue to be a real admirer of Kolins' work on this series. There's a rough and raw quality to the pencils that really compliments the action. Michael Atiyeh on colors does some great work, too. This issue in particular pops with day time yellow as backdrop to deep blacks. Very nice!

If you'd like to check the entirety of the series out for yourself, you might have to do some work to find a collected edition. If you shop via the Amazon link supplied, you'll help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for another year!

Follow links throughout this article for discover more from these and other characters. You can find and discover even more battles by diving in to the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order publisher, series, and issue number!

Follow on Twitter and Facebook to get links to daily fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like and share your favourite superhero smackdown!

Winner: Solomon Grundy
#135 (+238) Solomon Grundy
#386 (-13) Poison Ivy

HUO LI versus SHANG-CHI

Once Upon a Time in Wan Chai (Marvel)
Where: Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu One-Shot (B&W) #1 When: November 2009 Why: Mike Benson How: Tomm Coker & CP Smith

The Story So Far...
Shang-Chi is no stranger to the watchful gaze of unseen enemies. Over the course of two days in Hong Kong, he has felt the lingering presence of a cold stare at his back.

As ally to MI-6, Shang-Chi has amassed many nemeses while striking against the global criminal organizations employed by his father - the villainous Dr. Fu Manchu!

This mysterious watcher has come to test Shang-Chi's renowned mastery of kung fu, but his reasons for the challenge run much deeper than mere martial supremacy. Once again the past has come back to prey upon the master of kung fu, but this time the blood ties belong to the man called Huo Li!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Shang-Chi 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Shang-Chi 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Shang-Chi 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Shang-Chi 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Shang-Chi 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Shang-Chi 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Shang-Chi 24 (Champion)

We've got ourselves a kung fu grudge match as we finally explore an overdue corner of the martial Marvel Universe! We've seen colourful combatants like Iron Fist and Daredevil, but this time it's not about super-powers -- just fighting!

Huo Li made his first appearance in today's story, but through the course of the battle it becomes apparent he has deep familial ties to a mercenary who once worked for Fu Manchu. This is self-evident in the unique three-bladed sword he inherited from his father, Death-Dealer, whose immolation he aims to avenge!

Huo Li has dedicated his life to training as a martial artist and swordsman, making him an incredibly confident and competent assassin. He'll also demonstrate some measure of honor, arming his opponent for a degree of fair combat. Is that enough to overcome a Master of Kung Fu?

We recorded Shang-Chi as part of the zombie horde seen in Marvel Zombies #1, but this is his first featured fight on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths.

As the star of the Master of Kung Fu series: Shang-Chi was introduced as the son of Sax Rohmer's literary creation Fu Manchu, and an American woman chosen for beneficial genetic characteristics.

From birth, Shang-Chi was trained intensively in various techniques and disciplines of martial arts, honing him into a living weapon! When he learned his father was not the hero he claimed to be, Shang-Chi swore to use these skills to destroy his father's evil empire.

He's said to be one of the Marvel Universe's greatest fighters, but could this be the blood feud that brings him unstuck? It's time to put the claim to the test!

The Tape: Shang-Chi Ranking: Draw (Not Ranked)

What Went Down...
His senses already on alert: Shang-Chi is drawn to something lurking in the shadows of a nearby alley. He crosses into its darkness and finds a man whose presence he has felt for the two days he's been walking Hong Kong's streets.

The unfamiliar figure, shirtless with clenched fists, says he has heard of Shang-Chi's prowess as a great "living weapon". He intends to test him. They fight!

First blood goes to the mystery man as he connects with a kick to the face!

The blow sends Shang-Chi flying backwards, but he twists his body and rolls with it to regain an upright stance. He warns his new opponent of the mistake he's made. Now he'll find out just how good The Master of Kung Fu really is!

The mystery man moves forward with a confident right fist, but this time Shang-Chi blocks the blow with an open left palm. In one fluid motion he thrusts his right fist into the attacker's abdomen and strikes with a left-hand claw!

Escalating attacks push the attacker to unleash something truly explosive. His body bends back, distancing his face from the claw strike's path while his left foot rises rapidly to catch Shang-Chi with another launching kick!

Shang-Chi lands hard on nearby steps well aware that his opponent is truly an excellent fighter who has overcome pride of self.

The Master of Kung Fu restores his vertical base but rather than leaping into another attack - he vaults straight over his opponent to make for a fire escape ladder. His opponent makes chase, scrambling behind towards the rooftops.

The two warriors meet on equal footing topside. As they gaze at one another in a stance of readiness, the fighter reveals himself as Huo Li: the man who will end Shang-Chi's life in the name of vengeance! With that, he tosses Shang-Chi a sword and reveals the three blades of his father's weapon. It reveals everything there is to know. He is the son of an old foe: The Death-Dealer!

As Shang-Chi contemplates his old adversary, his newest one drives him back with the triple blade. It pushes him toward a skylight and sends him plummeting into the light soaked dive of the karaoke bar below!

Huo Li drops down behind him, but Shang-Chi scrambles clear of the plunging blades. He bumps into nearby patrons and springs back with a thrusting kick!

Remembering Death-Dealer's demise, The Master of Kung Fu gives his opponent a chance to end it. To walk away without dishonor. The vengeful swordsman declines. This fight is the culmination of his life's training. He will not back down.

Shang-Chi avoids a swing of the three pronged blade and presses toward the attacking arm shoulder first. His next move disarms Huo Li with a backwards thrust of his elbow. The base of his foot meets Huo Li's face next. Then stomps with a hard heel to an exposed calf muscle. Huo Li can do nothing.

With his sword pointed directly at his opponent, Shang-Chi makes a choice. He could not spare Death-Dealer's life, but he can spare the son's. He drops the sword and imparts clarity: "I understand your need for revenge. Just know this is a road that ends in death. And it will not be mine."

Shang-Chi walks away in victory, accepting that they will one day meet again.

The Hammer...
When anybody asks me to explain Shang-Chi, I usually just tell them he's Marvel's answer to Bruce Lee. It feels like an over-simplification, but in the case of today's story - it's never been more apt. Just look at that rendering!

Tomm Coker and CP Smith make no bones about depicting Shang-Chi as Bruce Lee. The aviator sunglasses are a big tip off. It doesn't hurt that Mike Benson's script also starts the fight by paraphrasing Enter the Dragon. When an opponent expands - he contracts, and vice versa. Be like water, young warriors.

A cover story featuring Deadpool probably helped sell a few extra copies of the Shang-Chi Master of Kung Fu black & white one-shot in 2009. If you ask me, there was plenty of bang for buck in this story. It speaks to me more than the tongue-in-cheek lead. It's very simple, but it also looks really great!

I was a fan of CP Smith's unique, stylized digital artwork back in the New Invaders days. I don't know what the exact division of chores are here: Smith receives a "with" credit, implying finishing, or inking, over Coker's base. Whatever their process, the art team got something pretty special down onto the page, if you ask me.

The style is moody and vibrant, etched in hard blacks on white & grey, with digital processing for texture. It sometimes looks like paper cutouts, but the staging of action is never too rigid. I presume there's a lot of heavy photo referencing, but that enhances a filmic quality of the whole piece. This isn't fumetti - so-called "photo comics". It's a unique aesthetic that's of the page.

The sense of cinema doesn't end with the pictures. This is a story lettered in Chinese, with English subtitles placed in black gutters. Usually foreign comics are localized with English dialogue placed straight where the original was [see; Dragon Ball]. Other languages in Marvel Comics are often represented with brackets to indicate reading a translation. For any kung fu movie fan, the unique choice should evoke a fond, familiar film-watching experience.

My Mandarin isn't so hot, so I can't say how authentic the dialogue is, but it scratches a long held itch fellow gamers might be able to relate to: The moment the international cast of Street Fighter and Tekken began speaking, there was a strong desire to hear them use their native tongue. It just seemed like a cool, natural thing to do. I've always liked the idea on the page, as well. Although it's probably a lot more interesting when characters don't speak the same language.

I wonder how Shang-Chi purists feel about this episode. The short makes for a satisfying, quick kung fu read, but doesn't seem entirely in step with the red-suited modern Shang-Chi of the last decade or so, nor the kung fu classic of the seventies and early eighties. I could see some diehards taking issue with the specific reference to movies and Bruce Lee. Not that Once Upon a Time in Wan Chai isn't a story deeply rooted in classic comics!

The vengeful Huo Li debuted in this short story and directly references Li Ching-Lin: A mercenary called Death-Dealer who lasted four issues while working for Fu Manchu in 1982. His gruesome fate is pretty much as depicted in vague flashbacks, tying the story directly to Master of Kung Fu #118.

I wouldn't have particularly expected a short like this, in an experimental and already obscure black & white special, to have drawn so specifically on past reference. I like that it does! It goes down easy if you don't know the reference, but if you trace the line back to its source, you get a little bit more out of the kick ass action. That's what good comics should be about!

To the best of my knowledge Huo Li hasn't appeared again since the B&W special. I know Shang-Chi found his way into orbit of the Avengers in the years since, but there probably hasn't been a whole lot of opportunity for follow-up. With any luck that might change now that Marvel Studios has announced Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings - a 2021 movie.

I'll certainly look forward to returning to Shang-Chi in a more classic context at some point in the future, as well as The Mandarin, who will apparently make his true big screen debut, presumably standing in for the notoriously complicated film rights of Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu.

I wasn't able to find this story in collected format at the time of this writing, so you may have to seek out the Master of Kung Fu One-Shot Special if you want to explore today's featured fight further. It was one of at least a couple of experimental seventies style black & white specials released around 2009.

If you want to find more from Shang-Chi, or other relevant characters, be sure to follow links found throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index of all featured fights! Check out Cover to Cover: Martial Arts Mayhem for a special selection of themed fights featuring furious fists and deadly hands of kung fu!

You can also follow Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! Be sure to like & share your favourite battles!

Winner: Shang-Chi
#328 (new) Shang-Chi
#884 (new) Huo Li