SUB-MARINER versus IRON MAN
World's Most Wanted Part 5: The High-End
Technology of Ultramodern Destruction (Marvel)
Where: Invincible Iron Man #12 When: June 2009
Why: Matt Fraction How: Salvador Larroca

The Story So Far...
When the superhero community was split by a controversial act to force them into official government registration, it was Tony Stark who championed the bill. His dogged pursuit of illegal unsanctioned superheroics allowed him to maneuver into more encompassing roles, including his appointment as Director of SHIELD after Nick Fury's disappearance into the underground.

Just as the fickle nature of emotional politics had allowed Stark's rise, so too did it fascilitate his fall. When a secretive plot hatched by super-powered Skrulls was revealed to be a full scale invasion, both registered and unregistered Avengers were forced to pool their efforts to thwart the alien incursion. With suspicions and fears renewed within the public, Norman Osborn was there to capitalize.

Disgraced as an impotent coward who was unable to anticipate and prevent mass corruption within his agency, Tony Stark becomes that which he had hunted. With SHIELD disbanded in favour of Osborn's own HAMMER intelligence agency, Stark finds himself alone in the world, forced to seek out obselete technologies to use against the overwhelming forces that now oppose him. In an effort to protect the secret informations he gathered, Stark embarks on a one-man mission to erase all of his accumulated data, but in doing so, provokes Osborn's most potent forces. Now, deep beneath the ocean, a former ally hunts the Iron Man...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Sub-Mariner 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Sub-Mariner 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Iron Man 6 (Generator)
Agility: Sub-Mariner 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Sub-Mariner 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)


- The union of an American sea captain and Atlantean Emperor's daughter brought into the world one of the most potent mutants it would ever see. Prince Namor was an oddity in the kingdom of Atlantis, not just for his pale skin, but for his uncanny strength, durability, and ability to breath and fly above the oceans, that made him a worthy heir to the throne.

During the Second World War, Namor's surface adventures led him to prominence as the powerful Sub-Mariner, whose unique talents were lent to the war effort of the Allied Nations. Joining Captain America and Human Torch, he and the heroes of the Invaders and All-Winners Squad supressed the tyrannical efforts of the Nazi Party and their many superhuman agents. Despite this association, Namor's relationship with the surface world remains one of uncertainty, and when common enemies of WWII disappear, so too does the traditional anti-hero.

When a modern age of heroes emerge, the Sub-Mariner returns to induct them, discovered living on the surface as an amnesiac vagrant by Johnny Storm. With the fate of Atlantis more uncertain than ever, Namor resumes his adventures, forming early rivalries with the Fantastic Four, Hulk, and Brotherhood.
Despite baring an antagonistic relationship with the polluting modern world, Namor once again rises as one of the world's greatest champions, forming new associations with the Defenders, Avengers, Illuminati, and several other groups, including less savory elements, such as Dr. Doom and the counter-active Cabal formed by Norman Osborn. As stubborn as he is mighty, Namor always serves a noble end, seeking only a greater good for he and the people of Atlantis.

- While on a field tour to observe the effects of weaponry designed by his corporation for the United States military; billionaire industrialist, Tony Stark, soon finds himself face-to-face with the bold consequences of his actions.Caught in a rebel booby trap, Stark suffers a near fatal wound that lodges a piece of shrapnel inches from his heart. The rebels take Stark hostage to demand he apply his genius to the design and construction of weapons built from their limited resources. In doing so, they provide Stark the means to construct a suit of armor that preserves his heart, and turns him into an invincible Iron Man!

Stark's mastery over technology allows him to bring his designs home, where the availability of rapidly upgrading technologies allow him to continue to refine the build to become increasingly mobile and efficient. Stark soon dons the Iron Man armor on a regular basis, not only as insurance against his life threatening injuries, but as an opportunity to atone for the wanton destruction delt by his weapons of death. Stark protects his secrets through the duality of a secret identity, projecting to the world the image of Iron Man as a hi-tech bodyguard.

Advancements in Stark's arsenal have advanced to a point where he has now undergone cybernetic synthesis on a genetic level. The armor now not only provides him with superhuman strength and an array of offensive weapons, but also gives Stark full wireless control over the armor and other peripheral devices, as well as access to information databases, including SHIELD resources under his control as Director of SHIELD. Iron Man remains a staple of the Avengers roster.

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

What Went Down...
Deep beneath the Red Sea, Tony Stark works feverishly within one of his many laboratory stations to upgrade an old suit of armor. Knowing full well that the forces of HAMMER are closing in, Stark scrambles to don the upgraded suit. The lab hull gives way to the pounding might of the Sub-Mariner who tears through the structure with his bare hands.

Stark ignores his former ally's call for a surrender, firing repulsor rays at the deepsea monarch and his Atlantean warriors. The blasts distract as Iron Man makes an attempt to flee, flying just above the flooding waters. The Sub-Mariner borrows one of his warrior's spear weapons and tosses it with superhuman strength, enough so to interrupt Iron Man's flight and open another channel for the ocean depths to invade the once airtight facility.

Namor's guards pursue their target, only to suffer a barrage of micromunitions fired from the suit's rear. Adding insult to injury, Stark blasts away a portion of the floor to leave the unconscious bodies tumbling to the lower depths, a diversionary tactic for the fleeing strategist.

Namor fails to bite the bait, suffering the full onslaught of Iron Man's offensive energy projectiles. The ultra-powerful Sub-Mariner, perhaps fuelled further by his recent dip in the deep, marches through the oncoming blasts to deliver an energy attack of his own -- a single superhuman knock-out blow that sends IM hurtling!

The blow delivers a concussion to the man inside the invincible armor, and creates another breach of integrity for the laboratory exterior. Unafraid by the crushing depths of the sea, Namor gloats over his foe's pending defeat. It is the insult to the injury as the monarch's fists do his talking for him, once more.

With every blow, the Sub-Mariner comes closer to breaking open the metallic shell that seperates Tony Stark from his lethal force. In a desperation move Iron Man raises his gauntlets and releases high impact repulsor rays. Rays effortlessly deflected by the Sub-Mariner's heaving chest. Rays that further threaten the ensured destruction of the external glass his suit had cracked.

Recognising his physical inferiority, Iron Man seeks a strategic solution to his predicament. Noting facility waste pipes, he evades one of Namor's blows, and blasts the sewage. The gunk flows into the surrounding waters which grow ever higher with Namor's stray punch penetrating the glass behind.

Playing upon Prince Namor's aversion to aquatic pollution, Iron Man takes full advantage of the distraction with a mighty leap!

He buries Namor's head beneath the murky waters, forces him to inhale the sickening much through open gills. With the water rising around him, Iron Man holds steady until finally the Atlantean passes out.

Satisfied with a strategic victory, Stark makes use of the fleeting airspace, retrieving the aquatic armor he'd been upgrading, before initiation a self-destruct sequence in the lab. The destruction buys him valuable time for an escape.

The Hammer...
Y'know, there are a few things to consider when you look at the method of victory Mr. Tony Stark employed here. This was a science laboratory. There were a few pipes on hand. Maybe some of them were suitable pollutants, maybe they weren't. Regardless, Iron Man's blasts punctured the sewage of a facility that had been quite probably abandoned for some time. Disturbing, or highly improbable? That's for you to decide, true believers.

Well, it took some time, but finally we've overlapped with some of the pseudo-seventieth anniversary celebrations for Marvel Comics. That, and the omni-present marketting stamped "status quo" shift that is Dark Reign.
Both seem to have fully resurrected the relevance of Marvel's Golden Age icons, namely Sub-Mariner. The surly undersea mutant seems to have found a new zest for anti-hero guest appearances, sponsored largely by his tenure with "The Cabal" (aka; Dark Illuminati), who have dominated the Marvel Universe as the new ruling class via Norman Osborn. Not that Marvel's first mutant has ever truly faded to obscurity since his 1962 return in Fantastic Four #4. Consider it a resurrection of a career in the same way The Wrestler revived Mickey Rourke.

If for some reason the Sub-Mariner has alluded your reading career, you might like to familiarize yourself with the character through the Infinite Wars, and various other information sources. Why? Because in a strange way Sub-Mariner is the father of not only Marvel Comics superheroes, but also the tradition of "continuity" as it came to be known via examples like Thor's many overhead flights (and various famous guest appearances).

Marvel Top 25 Playlist
(With Year of Debut)
#1 Spider-man (1962)
#2 Iron Man (1963)
#3 Hulk (1962)
#4 Wolverine (1974)
#5 Capt. America (1941)
#6 Mr. Fantastic (1961)
#7 Daredevil (1964)
#8 Thing (1961)
#9 Invisible Woman (1961)
#10 Human Torch (1961)
#11 Luke Cage (1972)
#12 Sub-Mariner (1939)
#13 Venom (1984)
#14 Thor (1962)
#15 Silver Surfer (1966)
#16 Storm (1975)
#17 Beast (1963)
#18 Iron Fist (1974)
#19 Rogue (1981)
#20 Deadpool (1991)
#21 Tara (2004)
#22 Capt. America (1941)
#23 Union Jack (1980)
#24 Spitfire (1976)
#25 Wonder Man (1964)Before the beginning of the Marvel Age, Marvel Comics was a series first published in 1939 by Timely.
The inaugral issue featured the first appearances of Human Torch, the Angel, and Sub-Mariner, who featured in an expanded reprint of an unpublished story. The trio of heroes have all since returned, most notably the former and latter heroes, while Angel joined many other four colour heroes to fade to obscurity come the 60's reboot.

The emergence of Stan Lee as a creative force saw the introduction of a new line of costumed heroes in the early sixties, which resulted in Marvel Comics. The success of lasting icons like; Fantastic Four, Spider-man, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Dr. Strange; the prospect of a universe quickly emerged by a simple logic of business sense.

Despite boasting these unique new creations, Lee's sense of history as a reader, and fan, wasn't lost. In an Editorial role, he influenced the name of the company in homage to the classic superhero series, and also revived Golden Age concepts as part of his new emerging universe.

The Sub-Mariner's stature as an exciting anti-hero from the WWII era was well represented through a succession of appearances in; Fantastic Four, X-Men [#6], Avengers, Daredevil, and in a regular feature, Tales to Astonish.

With his role as an atagonist well established during the early years of the Marvel Age, it's little wonder that today Sub-Mariner has formed an alliance with the sinister powers of The Cabal. The secretive organization and it's precursive counterpart - the short lived Illuminati, to which Namor also held membership - sort of encapsulate this erratic relationship Namor has held with the rest of the Marvel Universe. In fact, the series reunites Sub-Mariner with his Supervillain Team-Up co-star, Dr. Doom, to whom he has been nemesis, and ally.

The reprisal of a slightly modified version of Namor's 70s outfit in Salvador Larroca's pencils presents a subtle adaptation of the character. Traditional superheroics and politicized intrigue collide in Invincible Iron Man; the secondary series starring the title character's run from the current administration, who deposed Stark, and recast him in the public eye as a coward and traitor.

The demotion appears to be part of a process to make amends for the character's antagonistic role in Civil War, which proved unpopular with many fans. One wonders if the abrupt shift isn't borne of a conscious concern for any crossmedia exposure the character might benefit from, namely the immensely popular film franchise initiated by director, Jon Favreau, and star, Robert Downey Jr.
Downey will reprise the role in May of 2010, giving a pretty good picture of when we might expect Tony Stark's nobility to finally have him in good stead with the heroes he alienated during the registration battle. (Just in time for the launch of a brand new Avengers film!)

Iron Man's deviation into fisticuffs is well balanced this issue with B-plots involving an armored Pepper Potts, and former Agent of SHIELD, Maria Hill, struggling with a brand new menace posed by a Matrix-lite revamp for The Controller who now possesses a zombie-like horde of jakked minions.

Larocca's pencils, colored by Frank D'Armata, dance a curious line between Adi Granov's heavily rendered humanoids, and CP Smith's distinctive characters. Consistency is lacking in the details of his work, but the action works, and like Granov's sometimes cold pages, the armor stands out well.

Revisiting previous suits in a time when Norman Osborn is wearing the most recent generation, (as Iron Patriot), is a fun prospect, but a kitschy piece of a puzzle that isn't quite cut to fit. The title, "The High-End Technology of Ultramodern Destruction," which is shockingly actually spoken in dialogue, telegraphs the slightly ambitious wankery that Fraction attempts to undertake.

It's a weird clash between classic superhero deviations (ie; a fist fight), sci-fi high concept, and modernist dramatic indulgence, that clash with average results. It feels like the type of formula a Grant Morrison could implement, but the balance of this particular issue just lacks the enthusiastic finesse of the Scot.
Likewise, characters and dialogue are fairly underwhelming, too unremarkable to offend standard accepted characterizations, but not distinct enough to inspire.

The rapid rise of inductees into Marvel's boysclub might inspire some degree of suspicion when it comes to the uniformity of approach. As names like Fraction or Aaron are thrown at prominent titles through association with Brubakers and Bendis', there's a feeling that the product ultimately defies the role.
Is this a fair criticism of an issue? Ultimately, the material speaks for itself, and while this issue doesn't sparkle in isolation, it's non-commital trivialities through the fight probably aren't as disappointing when viewed in the context of the arc.

Also worthy of praise is the logic of the fight.
Despite the nature of our reviews, so often we fail to elaborate any further than the cumbersome text summaries you read in the What Went Down section. Here, Fraction commands the fight in a way we always appreciate - with an awareness for circumstances and settings. Though obviously contrived, the use of the locale as a factor in the battle is a nice effort to utilize the tools presented by the tale. If the story is going to stay close to a checklist of objectives, this is a good effort to make some justifiable use of it.

As one of the many anniversary appearances of Namor, the issue also deserves credit for a well motivated appearance.
Like many of the stories featured previously on the Infinite Wars, it's an immensly interesting instalment to be included in the more significant canon of a character. The kind of story that the Infinite Wars are founded upon, regardless of any larger critiques. Part of a winding seventy year history!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4
Winner: Iron Man

If you want to get ahead of the curve on World's Most Wanted and find out the context of the issue, you can preorder the trade from Amazon! By using links provided on the site, you benefit from Amazon's service and price, while also helping sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! Other stories from the Secret Archives, including those featuring the invincible Iron Man, are also available in the Gift Shoppe.

THE INVADERS versus THE AVENGERS
Once an Invader... Part 4 (Marvel comics)
Where: New Invaders #0 When: August 2004
Why: Allan Jacobsen & Chuck Austen How: CP Smith

The story so far...
Alarm bells sound when intelligence received by the Avengers informs them that former US Secretary of Defense, Dell Rusk, has covertly formed a new team of Invaders. This team, composed of WWII veterans and successors to mantles familiar to the time, join the Sub-Mariner in an Atlantean strike on the polluting oil-rich nation of Mazikhandar.

Learning that Dell Rusk was actually a disguised pseudonym for the Red Skull; Captain America and the Avengers leap into action to stop the Invaders from causing an International incident.

Despite their interference, the Avengers fail to prevent upheavel in Mazikhandar, and a new leader is enstated by the Invaders. To the dismay of all concerned, this new leader exposes his corruption immediately, executing his predecessor infront of the gathered heroes. Now the conflict boils over, as the Invaders' Thin Man operates covertly behind the scenes, and the teams come to blows!

Previous Form:
Invaders [#24]: Struggled against a Hydra-controlled Wolverine.
Avengers [#3]: Victories over the forces of Atlantis & the Sinister Twelve.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Sub-Mariner 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Thin Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spitfire 5 (Super Speed)
Stamina: Blazing Skull 6 (Generator)
Agility: Thin Man 6 (Rubber)
Fighting Ability: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)


- The Invaders are: USAgent, Sub-Mariner, Blazing Skull, Spitfire, Union Jack, Tara and Thin Man. Accompanying the Sub-Mariner is Atlantean Counselor Sulumor, and soldiers in the Atlantean Royal Guard. For many members, their adventures span the decades, the Invaders at their height during the Second World War. Many of them have sustained their youth by means of natural mutation, meta-mutation, or magic.

- As Atlantean monarch, the mutant Sub-Mariner, Namor, commands not only an army of Atlantean soldiers, but also the respect of many of the Marvel Universe's most prominent identities. His tenure with the team began in the forties, where he, Captain America and the Human Torch represented the super-powered front of the allied forces. His mutant super-human strength, flight, and durability made him a powerful ally.

- During an expedition to climb Mount Kalpurthia of the Himalya, explorer Bruce Dickson discovered the lost civilization of Kalahia. The Kalahians accepted him into their culture, and altered his physiology with their advanced technologies, to give him powers comparable to their own. As Thin Man, Dickson would not only possess the ability to become razor thin through dimensional shifting, his aging process would also be brought to a halt.

Thin Man would utilize advanced Kalahian technology in the future, embodied during his tenure as covert leader of the New Invaders by the design of a destroyer ship capable of shifting through dimensional space in much the same way his body does.

- The Avengers are: Captain America, Iron Man, Giant-Woman, Hawkeye, She-Hulk and Lionheart. Affectionately referred to as Earth's Mightiest Heroes, they represent the forefront of America's modern age of superheroes.
Though recently torn apart by the events of the registration Civil War, the Avengers still prevail, represented by factions on both sides of the debate.

- Captain America is the physical emodiement of the ideals of truth, justice and the American way. Many times this ideological status has brought him into conflict with government administrations, but never at the price of his patriotism. It was this nationalistic fervor that saw frail, young Steve Rogers volunteer for an experiment that would turn him into the super-soldier the world has known for six decades. Captain America was himself a former Invader.

- At the time of this story, Tony Stark aka; Iron Man, was serving as United States Secretary of Defense. As Iron Man he harnesses cutting edge technology and his own mechanical genius, along with a vast fortune amassed from industrialist activities that have not always characterized him in the most positive light. It was his own weapons that lodged life-threatening shrapnel near his heart, which led to the creation of the first Iron Man armor as a means of survival.

The Math: Invaders (Total) Avengers (Average)
The Pick: The Avengers

What went down...
With Atlantis and the Invaders responsible for staging a political coup in the nation of Mazikhandar, the Avengers attempt to intervene as the situation escalates with the new leader, General Rafiq, shooting the dictator Hassan in cold blood as a show of strength.

The Atlantean monarch, Sub-Mariner, remains steadfast in his opposition of Mazikhandar's wanton pollution of surrounding waters, justifying his actions to his respected ally, Captain America, by lives of his Atlantean kingdom equally lost.

Personal greivances give way to political powers, as the Thin Man makes an order from extra-dimensional space, prompting the USAgent to break free of the bonds already blaced on him by Avengers. He marches on his star-spangled predecessor with an explanation of jurisdiction. The Avenger Hawkeye fires one of his arrows at the non-lethal fleshy area of John Walker's behind, prompting action on the USAgent's part.

The other Invaders follow suit in the retaliation, providing the Thin Man with a distraction fitting to his own secret agenda. With the Avengers sufficiently distracted by flaming attack, he enters the unguarded Manizkhandian palace.

Inside, the corpse of the deceased Hassan appears decomposing at an increased rate. Thin Man emerges from inter-dimensional space, where General Rafiq chastises a fellow for being anything but vigilant about defending the capital from the foreign incursion of the Avengers and Invaders, both.

Thin Man expresses his own disappointment, furious that Rafiq would renege on their arrangement to position him into power, in exchange for a live specimen of synthetic humanoid -- Hassan having already been murdered and replaced long ago, by unnamed clandestine forces.

Captain America and Iron Man storm the palace fortress, with the Atlantean Sulumor and Sub-Mariner in hot pursuit. Sulumor's bloodlust proves contrary to Namor's reluctance to see any further deaths on this day of war.

As is common of Namor's reign as Atlantean ruler, the Counselor challenges the Sub-Mariner's loyalties. He questions whether Namor is an ally or puppet of the surface dwelling heroes, prompting a knock-out blow from the proud ruler.

Thin Man appears to sponsor the provocation of the ill-tempered Sub-Mariner, suggesting Sulumor's words may have been out of turn, but bitterly correct.
Thin Man reveals his manipulations, unwilling to leave Rafiq unpunished for his indescretions, but certain that the Atlanteans need support he and the Invaders in their actions. It is this truth that sees Namor extend a hand to Sulumor.

Meanwhile the Avengers pairing of leaders, Cap and Iron Man, storm through the palace, Iron Man disarming soldiers with his repulsor rays. They discuss the possibilities of Red Skull's continued manipulations when Thin Man appears to them. The Captain challenges Thin Man's ethics, quickly quashed by his own country's exoneration of Dickson in exchange for his services in resolving mistakes incurred during "Dell Rusk's" tenure as Secretary.

Iron Man lifts Cap for a jet propelled getaway, but Thin Man's opposition proves more potent than they might have imagined. Calling upon his Kalahian powers, Thin Man extends himself into the air and whips his flattened arms in an arc, scattering Captain America and Iron Man through the air.

As the battle between Invader and Avengers rages outside, the tiled palace floor begins to rumbled from the inside. A terrified General Rafiq scrambles with pistol clutched to breast, narrowly avoiding the collapse of the palacial floor!
Emerging from the destruction, a floating Namor and Sulumor, certain of their intentions. As Rafiq makes a pathetic claim of friendship, Namor denounces his actions and declares the requirement of a trial. The cowardly General bows before the two Atlanteans with the solace of martyrdom as his world crumbles around him at the hands of the foreign invaders.

At that moment, Blazing Skull brings an entire wall down, toppling the gargantuan body of the giant-sized Wasp! The falling beauty narrowly avoids a rope-swinging Union Jack, while Blazing Skull is whisked to safety by Tara.

Jack comes face-to-face with his idol, Captain America, who appears less than lively. The living legend is suffering the effects of an inter-dimensional pummeling at the hands of the Thin Man, who appears from nothingness again to whip the Captain into the air! Cap emplores to Thin Man to seek a better way, highlighting the differing ideals between the two World War veterans.


Meanwhile; Cap's ideological successor, USAgent, is handing out a pummeling to his own contemporary adversary, Iron Man. The palace floor cracks as flesh beats down upon alloy, as does USAgent's attempts to hide behind classified information.

The secretary of defense blasts USAgent into the air with repulsor rays, declaring his seniority. Union Jack and Spitfire step-up, armed, to defend the injured USAgent, meeting the stern warnings of a frustrated Iron Man.

Sick of playing games, Iron Man meets the Thin Man on his own level, blasting him in the back as he continues to hurl Captain America around the palace.
The repulsor burst knocks the stretchy Thin Man into unconsciousness as he folds onto the floor, freeing Cap from his sub-spacial grip.

Outside, Avenger and Invader stand down as the Sub-Mariner hovers above the crowd holding General Rafiq by the scruff. He reveals a change of heart, forming a new alliance with Mazikhandar and offers politically solid Royal Atlantean protection to the oil-rich nation.

With a single decree, Namor declares a new era of peace between the feuding sea and land, installing Sulumor as an Atlantean diplomat in the nation for the progress ahead. With that, he hands Rafiq to International justice, leaving the Avengers to make their own peaceful way out of Mazikhandar air-space.

The hammer...
Ugh, y'know, this is such an awkward one for the Infinite Wars record books. Essentially the conclusion is a draw, but given the physical prowess of the Invaders, and Namor's role in concluding the battle, I'm going to give this one to the Invaders and Atlantis.

Something worth noting iss the interesting way the issue places priority on the story. The action is wrapped very specifically around character and story beats, omitting a large portion of the supporting Avengers and Invaders from battle. Though characters like She-Hulk and Lionheart pose as little more than filler during early wide-shots, for our stats, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt, conceptually having carried on the fight outside.

It was writing like the above that made me a really big fan of this series.
I had intended to use the announcement of a new Captain America as an excuse to pull this out as a chance to talk about USAgent, but I might save that for something a little later.

When it comes to New Invaders, I find myself with a lot to talk about.
It was the Enemy of the State tie-in, an abberation, that initiated the series into the Infinite Wars way back in December of 2005 - our first month! One of the stinging disappointments of making that the only issue featured, was the fact that I didn't get to acknowledge CP Smith's visual work on the series.

The art was but the most obvious thing that really set this series apart as something different to the rest of the Marvel catalogue in 2004.
It was operating within the context of the Marvel Universe, but it was a world where political espionage and vintage superheroics clashed to create a very fresh and vibrant reenvisioning of the Invaders model.

Pencillers, colourers and inkers have pushed the model of a Marvel superhero comic before and after, but what CP Smith did with this title really excited me.
It's a CG style you see more often now with guys like the Luna Brothers pushing traditional pencils and the digital realm together in mainstream titles like Girls, or their work on Spider-Woman; but at the time, Smith's work was so different in a mainstream comic, it was often cited as one of the reasons people weren't buying the book. Which I think is a damned shame, and something I know a lot of people got over upon the release of the complete series in trade paperback.

The weaknesses were definitely there: Sometimes characters could appear a little stiff in their interactions; backgrounds might have been lacking; and there was a tendency to reuse elements in panels in very different contexts -- but when one doesn't dwell on these negatives, there was a very fresh, and exciting differentiating quality to what Smith did. It had a charming simplicity, but at it's best never undercut it's ability to cast a full illusion of human depth.

For many, the series started with a black mark next to it's name even before they saw the radically different artwork. This zero issue reminds us that the Invaders were spun out of an introductory storyarc in Chuck Austen's brief run on the Avengers.
Say what you will about Austen, but Jacobsen should be well commended for his work on the series, which was far and above much of Austen's anchoring repetoire.

Top 25 Golden Age
#1 Batman (DC)
#2 Captain America (M)
#3 Superman (DC)
#4 Green Arrow (DC)
#5 Catwoman (DC)
#6 Sub-Mariner (M)
#7 Hawkman (DC)
#8 Nightwing (DC)
#9 Winter Soldier (M)
#10 Wonder Woman (DC)
#11 Dr. Fate (DC)
#12 Dr. Occult (DC)
#13 The Spectre (DC)
#14 Aquaman (DC)
#15 Captain Marvel (DC)
#16 Hawkgirl (DC)
#17 Wizard Shazam (DC)
#18 Alfred Pennyworth (DC)
#19 Phantom Lady (DC)
#20 The Ray (DC)
#21 Doll Man (DC)
#22 Blazing Skull (M)
#23 Captain Nazi (DC)
#24 Scarecrow (DC)
#25 Two-Face (DC)
Key to the series' unique approach was a fresh, but respectful look at the best-known Marvel Golden Age characters. At the time some purists might have been uncomfortable with the radical departure, but I think even the treatment of Namor, a personal favourite, saw these characters distilled to some of their very best qualities; played off one and other with a weight on scenario.

It was summer-action movies. It was maybe not as intelligent as a Bourne Identity, but it brought together the history of the superheroes, and smashed it up against war-themed conflict and intrigue. It's probably in these issues that we see for the last time, just to pick on a personal favourite, a strong Sub-Mariner.

We've talked a lot in the past about Black Adam doing Namor better than Namor [52 #45], and while that's a particularly harsh assessment of Marvel's use of the character, this issue in particular highlights how uncharacteristically still the character has been, particularly in the wake of his cousin's death.
[The recently launched Sub-Mariner mini-series, not withstanding...]

If there's a seperating factor, it might be experience and motivation as a ruler, and the fact that Namor for the most part does have a world-view about things. In this very issue we see a similar scenario to Adam's Kahndaq coup, with the notable exception that Namor marrys political hindsight to his violent solution to the conflict with Mazikhandar.

Cease Fire Update!: Readers of the Infinite Wars will be relieved to know I have again turned my Batman-esque level 5 brilliance to give my broken old computer-machine another life. This phoenix-like resurrection will, with any luck, not slow productivity any more than it already has. Hussah!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5

[I'd hold off recommending you march out and find the New Invaders trade until you've had a taste of the core series, but it is certainly now one of the hidden gems of the Marvel Universe. Hopefully in the coming months you'll get another taste of New Invaders: War-mongering mutates from the golden age!]

ATLANTIS versus AVENGERS
A Not-So-Beautiful Mind (Marvel comics)
Where: Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #9 When: March 2007
Why: Jeff Parker How: Juan Santacruz

The story so far...
MODOK and the villainous group of criminal scientists called AIM have defeated and captured the Avengers, and attempted to perform horrible experiments on them.
Though there was a terrible explosion, the Avengers emerge as distorted reimaginings of their former selves, recreated in MODOK's own image!

Returning to the world as the MODvengers, they approach protecting New York City with an entirely new slant. With their intelligence, arrogance and cranial capacity all upgraded, they are more than ready to meet the challenges of villains head-on with a jaded and cynical superiority.

It would seem a most inopportune moment, then, for Lord Krang and Attuma to lead the hordes of the Atlantean military into an invasion of the surface world.

Previous Form:
The Avengers [#2]: The Avengers were previously unsuccessful against MODOK & AIM.
Lord Krang & Attuma: The Atlantean warriors have not yet been featured.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Giganto 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Iron Man 5 (Professor)
Speed: Spider-man 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Spider-man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting Ability: Captain America 6 (Warrior)
Energy Powers: Iron Man 5 (Lasers)


As we continue our way through the villains of Marvel Ultimate Alliance, I have to admit to getting a little slack here. We should be featuring Byrrah, but as far as I know I don't really have much in the way of Byrrah, so I'm moving on to the next Atlantean on the list, Lord Krang. Thing is, I overlooked a far superior Lord Krang appearance in favour of mucking around more with MODOK. Sorry.

Lord Krang, like the whale monster Giganto, really only makes a cameo apperance. Krang at least has the benefit of some lines and a prominent position, but otherwise he's pretty insignificant in the issue. In fact, he's been coloured wrong to look caucasian, instead of a healthy Atlantean-blue.

Attuma (pictured left of the tape stats) is looking a radiant grey, with his big helmet thingy in full view. So, how does that affect his chances at victory?

Y'know, you've got the entire Atlantean military, giant robotic crabs, and crazy big monsters like Giganto and creature I'm unfamiliar with, like Tri-Gorr.
I don't know if I can really break this one down in the way I usually would, so let's just say this entire army really would give the Avengers a run for their money, but because we're in Marvel Adventures land, long-term storytelling isn't really an option. So, expect swift subsiding of your Atlantean invaders.

Because the stats do not take the nameless Atlantean soldiers into account, or even the nameless soldiers, the math may be uncharacteristically inaccurate.
For integrity's sake, I'm going to compensate that with my pick, even though we all know exactly how this is going down. Yeesh...

The Math: The Avengers
The Pick: Atlantis (Even though we know they lose...)

What went down...
Emerging from the rubble of the AIM underground science facility, Iron Man's gauntlet pings with the alert of a "pathetic official" rings through the smokey air. The suited female Governer cries for aid in saving Boston, which has come under attack from Atlantis. If you read anything before this point, you probably know that already...

At that point the Governer's computer is destroyed by a blast from Attuma's trident staff, prompting the American soldiers to call a retreat, much to the joy of the Atlanteans, who seem to have a penchant for thinking America is the only surface land on the face of the planet...

At that moment the giant eel creature Tri-Gorr suffers a zapping blow!

Attuma shows deep concern for the creature's well being, turning only to witness a counterstrike being waged by the hovering heads of the MODvengers!

Storm fries a quartet of airborne jellyfish looking creatures, while Iron Man, Wolverine, Spider-man, Captain America and Giant-Girl all use their newly aquired mindblasts to fire upon the crowd of Atlanteans.

In the background, the hovering Hulk dukes it out with the giant whale creature, Giganto!

As the Atlantean Invasion forces find themselves struggling against the unrelenting aggression of the MODvengers, Attuma summons a potential equalizer in the giant Rommbu creature. A humanoid amphibian not unlike the creature from the Black Lagoon, in some superficial respects...

With enhanced brain power, comes enhanced responsibility, but Spidoc cares little for concepts as trivial as these!

His Spidey-senses prove to be multiplied, warning him of the impending danger before Attuma even orders it! With the use of his MODOK inspired mental capabilities, he easily overpowers the sea creature's simple mind, and turns him against his masters!

Rommbu turns and strikes the mechanoid crab Attuma rides with pride, spilling both he and the less involved Lord Krang!

Attuma foolishly verbalizes his dismay, that a mere seven bulbous headed surface dwellers could over power the entire Atlantean military force.

Irondoc's giant ears prick up at the affirmation that it is their entire force.
Woldoc (Wolverine) and Gi-doc (Giant-Girl) are each on the same page, extrapolating the notation to recognise Atlantis is completely without it's defense force, as well.

With a creepy grin, Giant-Girl exclaims, "Vulnerable for Conquest."

[The C in the Marvel Adventures "MODOC", and subsequently this variation on the Avengers characters, all with -doc added, stands for Conquest. - Marvellous Mike]

Attuma can only watch on, objecting to the invasion of his homeworld by the disinterested MODveners who file off in unison toward the waters of the dock.
"What... no! You can't... You can't invade my home!"


The hammer...
By playing it through the eyes of MODOK, the Avengers pick up the shared victory on this particular occasion. Who woulda ever thunk it?
The Avengers invading Atlantis? It's so brilliant it just might work!

Even though I'm still behind it's nice to finally be able to wrap up one of the biggest months in Secret Earths history! With the milestones of hitting 10k and 100 featured fights, we've seen a lot recently! Having already reviewed this very issue for fight #100, I have to admit I'm a little bit lost for words.

At the end of this fight Iron Man notes to a slightly horrified press that he has calculated that The Leader has figured out how to escape from his prison cell by this time. So, for those who are like me and maybe feel one of the great setbacks of the Adventures books is content, think again, friend!
We've still got a whole other fight to feature, still!

Might take a break from this issue, though, as we head toward what will officially be regarded as the Attuma feature, even though he was front and center, here.

Having employed the use of a new stat counter, I see there's been some traffic coming in from Google via searches for Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Hopefully gamers are getting something out of these Monday features, even if it isn't quite what they were originally searching for. Yeah, about that... Sorry guys, I can't tell you where the Daredevil dolls are, because I don't remember. Just be thorough when you're playing through a level, and explore a little -- including headquarters!

Wow, I got a bit sidetracked there... I guess that's what the late-end-of-the-month will do to you! We've still got plenty of Marvel Ultimate Alliance action coming at you, and if I remember to, you'll hear more about that and more in the Monthly Punch-Up in "tomorrow"'s post.

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 5

NEXT WEEK: Attuma faces the fury of the Sub-mariner! Imperius Rex!