AVENGERS & X-MEN versus RONAN

Whatever The Cost! (Marvel)
Where: Maximum Security #3 When: January 2001
Why: Kurt Busiek How: Jerry Ordway

The Story So Far...
A sudden global surge in extraterrestrial conflict reveals a master plan by the Intergalactic Council of empires to declare Earth a prison planet!

Encounters with the Kree, Skrull, Shi'ar, and more have earned humans a meddlesome reputation. To further delay them from reaching beyond the stars, the untamable scum of the universe are now interned to keep Earth busy. Energy lattice surrounds the solar system in an effort to contain humanity and the prisoners from further interference.

With the Kree seemingly conquered by the Shi'ar Empire, Ronan The Accuser was appointed overseer of the new prison planet, but in truth he has conspired to launch a new Kree uprising. With the mutated Ruul army at his command, and an infestation of the Earth by Ego feeding him unlimited power, Ronan stands poised to lead the Supreme Intelligence to ultimate victory!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Ronan 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Goliath 6 (Genius)
Speed: Nova 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Thor 6 (Generator)
Agility: Spider-Man 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Ronan 6 (Mass Destruction)
Total: Ronan The Accuser 34 (Super)

Earth's heroes are: Thor, Warbird, Sub-Mariner, Wonder Man, She-Hulk, Goliath, Hercules, Thing, Beta Ray Bill, Rogue, Colossus, Sunfire, with USAgent, Quasar, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Nova, Namorita, Speedball, Triathlon, and Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, Bruce Banner, Silver Surfer.

Several other heroes can be seen teleporting into action with Quasar, but for the sake of clarity, we're only focusing on those identifiably involved in the battle. This includes support troops led by USAgent fighting on the ground.

Ronan The Accuser has been dramatically augmented by Ego, who has begun to infest the Earth. The flow of power Ego supplies adds to Ronan's already impressive Kree might, and results in a massive increase in his physical size.

Working on the Ego problem are Mister Fantastic, Iron Man, and Bruce Banner. They've built a machine to repel the infestation, and drain Ronan's power by funneling it into a captive host. Silver Surfer has volunteered for the potentially lethal absorption, but it means he's taken out of the battle.

Silver Surfer's absence from the fight will be felt. We saw him beat Ronan back in Silver Surfer #13, but there are still plenty of other heavy hitters on the field who have credentials beating some prominent cosmic opponents!

Thor can match his hammer against Ronan's Universal Weapon, having used it to best Super-Skrull in Thor #465. Warbird (Carol Danvers) gained her powers from the Kree and has a late win over Thanos [FCBD Civil War II #1]. She-Hulk performed the rare feat of defeating Champion of the Universe in She-Hulk #8. Sub-Mariner was one of the first heroes to valiantly face Thanos in Infinity Gauntlet #4, joining She-Hulk in a noteworthy grim stand. Even Colossus has memorable cosmic face-offs, including a win over Ord in Astonishing X-Men #5!

Thing has made a career of taking on the universe's deadliest fighters. His renown across galaxies was built on battles against Ronan himself, The Champion, and villains like Ego, The Living Planet [Fantastic Four #235], Gladiator [Fantastic Four #249], Paibok The Power Skrull [Fantastic Four #358], and even his own Magus created Doppelganger [Fantastic Four #367]!

The heroes can also count on the aide of Beta Ray Bill, who was interned on Earth as part of the intergalactic council's designation as a prison planet. Beta Ray Bill famously defeated Thor in Thor #337, proving worthy to wield Mjolnir before Odin granted him his own hammer: Stormbreaker. He once fought Silver Surfer to a standstill in Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #2, and fought valiantly by his side against the unstoppable Tyrant in Silver Surfer #82!

This all spells one phenomenal fighting force, but will it be enough to mitigate the incredible power boost received by Ronan The Accuser? They're literally fighting a man with the power of an entire planet -- and a Kree army!

The Tape: Earth's Allied Heroes Ranking: Spider-Man (#2)

What Went Down...
A sudden flash of light signals the arrival of Ronan The Accuser. He hovers menacingly in the air, a towering titan gazing down at the aggravating heroes who have begun to threaten his power source.

With a gesture of his Universal Weapon, he summons an army of Kree imperial soldiers, and warns Earth's heroic brains trust that they will be destroyed if they reactivate their machine. Then -- another flash of light: the cavalry!

Quasar teleports a troop of heroes over thirty-strong and when Ronan  threatens to kill them all -- USAgent steps forward to order the heroes against him. They swarm the giant-sized Accuser!

Thor, Wonder Man, and Warbird come in high with blows to the head and face, while Sub-Mariner contends with the giant's right arm, and Beta Ray Bill and Goliath lock up the left! Working the body is Hercules and Colossus, while She-Hulk and Thing come in hot from below as the giant threatens to lose footing!

Around Ronan's feet, Kree soldiers scurry as they contend with the heroes' support forces. USAgent bats at a small group, while Spider-Man, Wolverine, Nova, Triathlon, Namorita, Speedball, and Captain America do the same!

Overhead: Ronan delivers his first decisive blow as he targets Thor with his own hammer-like weapon and unleashes the planetary force of Ego!

With a wild backhanded chop, The Accuser dispatches with Beta Ray Bill, Hercules, and Sub-Mariner! He then turns his attentions to the ionic Wonder Man and brings his massive Universal Weapon slamming down upon him!

USAgent bats a Kree soldier with his photonic shield and contemplates the fragility of humanity's hopes against the invaders, while across the battlefield Mister Fantastic rallies the Thing and Human Torch to defend their ace.

Bruce Banner and Iron Man finish loading the Silver Surfer into their device and in an agonizing instant Ego's incredible power begins flooding into his body! His back arches, while on the horizon the infested landscape that is Ego begins to contort violently -- and Ronan The Accuser begins to shrink!

Ronan is caught completely off guard as his unfathomable power weakens ever so slightly and his mass begins to reduce. The sudden change signals the opportunity for the heroes to strike!

Rogue calls out his sudden weakening, with Thor, Warbird, Wonder Man, Sub-Mariner, Beta Ray Bill and Colossus rushing in to capitalize!

The Silver Surfer betrays his struggle as he begins to moan and his chrome skin burns ever brighter with blistering energy. Iron Man can see the strain is too great, but before any of the genius heroes can act -- Silver Surfer is torn free!

His smoldering and cracked body falls limply to the ground even as he attempts to volunteer for another try. The words catch in his throat as he passes out. There will be no reprieve for The Surfer.

From the air above, Quasar spots the brains trust of Banner, Richards, and Iron Man gathering over the exhausted cosmic rider. He scans the horizon, taking in the vista of his home planet Earth, then leaves Nova battling the Kree warriors.

It seems Silver Surfer's power cosmic could not contain the energies absorbed from Ego, but Quasar assures Reed Richards that his quantum power is more adaptive. Knowing the risks, he volunteers to be strapped into the machine and the draining process begins anew!

Sensing the sudden pull of his energy once more -- Ronan lashes out wildly by swatting Thor, Rogue, and Sunfire out of the air! The Kree Accuser can tell that the drain is more smooth than before, hastening his desire to find the cause.

Still gigantic; Ronan stomps across a smoking battlefield littered with the beaten bodies of Thor, Hercules, and more. He sets his sights on the machine attacking Ego's infestation of Earth, and prepares to battle Earth's last line of defense!

The Hammer...

Ronan does a very convincing job of cleaning house before setting his sights on the next challenge. The battle is won, but the war is certainly not over!

War is very much the tone here. I think the more superhero universes became proliferated with identifiable characters - the greater the desire to see a war-like scenario. Several series tried it. There are obvious echoes of Operation: Galactic Storm and Infinity Gauntlet in this one. I can't help but think of Annihilation as well, which took the hell of cosmic warfare even deeper into the trenches.

1984's Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars may be the most recognized example of conflict between warring Marvel factions, but that was much more about isolating defined sides and smashing them together like (tie-in) toys. Speaking of which: Isn't it about damn time we featured the site's namesake? I digress...

In a continuum of those memorable Marvel events, Maximum Security makes a lot of sense. Through the prism of published releases in 2001, however, it reads almost anachronistic.

The event feels like the last gasp of a movement begun with the soft Heroes Return reset of 1998. There's a colourful, fluffy house style in the artwork, and a confluence of references to Marvel's favoured past, and the character designs of the misguided mid-90s and probing millennium. All would soon go away.

Indeed, the concluding issue of Maximum Security may be cover dated 2001, but it very much belongs to the final throes of 2000, when it actually hit racks.

The release of the first X-Men movie that same year is arguably what changed comics forever. It was a foundation stone for the next two decades of superhero domination in cinema, but it would also influence two of the defining releases of 2001: Ultimate X-Men, and Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely's New X-Men.

Both were incredibly intriguing in their own way, participating in a movement towards more sedate art direction, and denser character work. Everything was being deliberately rethought. Designs got blacker, and bombastic super-heroics were taking a slight step back as written concepts took greater focus.

I was vaguely aware of the Maximum Security crossover unfolding when it came out, but it didn't connect with me. It seems like every ardent comic book fan has a lull in their reading, and for me, it was very much 99-2000. They were generally exciting times, and other interests just started to eclipse a lifetime of reading comics.

In hindsight, Maximum Security was a little old fashioned, but I think if I'd taken the time to look closer, I would've enjoyed it. It was certainly an interesting piece of history to revisit when I picked up back issues many years later.

Three issues doesn't give the core mini-series a lot of room to expand upon a fast moving plot, but there are, of course, many tie-in issues that focus closer on relevant characters and spillover. There may be no better marker of time than Gambit #23: a series I frequently forget even existed.

Ronan The Accuser stands out as a main villain, which feels like a culmination of sorts. Growing up I'd always thought of Ronan as a big deal (and a classic Fantastic Four villain), but under scrutiny it becomes apparent his appearances were steady, but infrequent. He's really more of a Captain Marvel character, and for many years he hung his accuser's hat on the legendary Kree-Skrull War.

At the start of Maximum Security he poses as another banished alien forced to warden the Earth prison. A dirty tactic, but a nice set up for his coming out as a literal big bad. It's fun to see him swatting around some of the heaviest hitters in the Marvel Universe, even if the interactions are a tad impersonal.

I'll look forward to returning to the next phase of the battle in the future, when the other, more surprising featured character comes back to the fore: USAgent!

In the mean time, Blogger restrictions means this entry will only appear tagged for the fighters featured tackling Ronan. For most of the others, we have an assist stat that acknowledges their support role. You can check out the updated character rankings and results at the bottom of this post.

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 950 characters! You can find them all indexed in the Secret Archive by publisher, series, and issue number. Or simply discover more wonders by following links throughout this and other feature articles.

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Winner: Ronan The Accuser
#398 (+286) Ronan The Accuser
#613 (+279) Ego The Living Planet [+1 assist]
#31 (-1) Sub-Mariner
#32 (--) Thor
#35 (--) Silver Surfer
#49 (-2) Warbird (Carol Danvers)
#70 (-12) Rogue
#74 (-3) Wonder Man
#80 (-6) Goliath (Hank Pym)
#145 (-1) She-Hulk
#400 (-56) Beta Ray Bill
#419 (-7) Hercules
#423 (-3) Colossus
#591 (-137) Sunfire
#2 (--) Spider-Man [+1 assist]
#3 (--) Iron Man [+1 assist]
#4 (--) Wolverine [+1 assist]
#6 (--) Hulk (Bruce Banner) [+1 assist]
#10 (--) Mister Fantastic [+1 assist]
#12 (--) Thing [+1 assist]
#115 (+1) Nova (Richard Rider) [+1 assist]
#130 (+2) USAgent [+1 assist]
#428 (--) Speedball [+1 assist]
#614 (+282) Quasar [+1 assist]
#922 (new) Namorita [+1 assist]
#923 (new) Triathlon [+1 assist]

COSMIC POWERS versus TYRANT

Long Live Tyrant! (Marvel)
Where: Silver Surfer #82 When: July 1993
Why: Ron Marz How: Ron Lim & Tom Christopher

The Story So Far...
Eons ago a biomechanical entity known as Tyrant was created to serve Galactus, Devourer of Worlds. When Tyrant developed an independent taste for interplanetary conquests -- Galactus was compelled to intervene in the name of maintaining balance in the universe.

So powerful was Tyrant that the ensuing battle did untold cosmic damage! The conflict was only ended when Galactus stripped his servant of much of his cosmic energy, banishing him to the darkest corners of existence, where he was expected to remain.

Not unlike his master, Tyrant learned to sustain himself by siphoning cosmic energies. After eons of restoring his lost power, Tyrant returns to a path of conquest, now commanding an awesome army of robot soldiers! Even the greatest cosmic heroes fall before him, becoming new sources of power, but the self-sacrifice of a captured Jack of Hearts releases the cosmic assembly from captivity. Now they unite their powers to fight together against Tyrant!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Tyrant 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Tyrant 6 (Genius)
Speed: Silver Surfer 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Tyrant 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Ganymede 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Morg 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Tyrant 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Tyrant 38 (Cosmic)

The cosmic powered team-up includes: Silver Surfer, Ganymede, Beta Ray Bill, Gladiator, Terrax, and Morg.

It's tough to imagine any force standing up to such an awesome assembly of cosmic powers -- but that's exactly the scale of threat posed by Tyrant!

He's an immortal, nigh invulnerable biomechanical menace, capable of going ten rounds with Galactus and living to tell the tale! Silver Surfer has turned against their former master many times in the past, but could only dream of such success, surviving with his powers only by the good grace of Galactus!

Terrax and Morg are more recent heralds of Galactus, boasting phenomenal strength and durability. This is our first entry for Morg, but we've seen Terrax give DC's Green Lantern serious trouble in the Green Lantern/Silver Surfer crossover! Unfortunately, Terrax and Morg are also highly combustible mortal enemies -- just as likely to kill each other as they are a mutual enemy!

Acts of valor define Beta Ray Bill, whose noble spirit defeated Thor, and proved worthy of lifting his enchanted hammer in Thor #337! These days he has his own mighty mystic hammer called Stormbreaker. He used it to come to blows with Silver Surfer some years later, in Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #2, but can always be counted upon to fight the good fight!

Gladiator's loyalties lie primarily with the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, but as long as Empress Lilandra rules, that usually means preserving the greater intergalactic good! We've seen his impossible strength dominate the Fantastic Four [Fantastic Four #249] and X-Men [New X-Men #124]. He should be a powerful ally!

The X-factor is Ganymede, who represents one of the last vestige of an ancient order known as The Spinsterhood. These powerful female warriors were sworn to battle Tyrant, and claimed responsibility for his early defeat.

In the prior issue, Ganymede mistook Silver Surfer for one of Tyrant's minions, but with mistaken identities out of the way, she could be the fighter to guide this awesome assembly to victory!

Silver Surfer alone has beaten cosmic opponents like Ronan the Accuser [Silver Surfer #13], Nebula [Secret Defenders #10], Super-Skrull [Fantastic Four #6], and Green Lantern [Marvel versus DC #3]. The group fell as individuals, but fighting together should neutralize Tyrant's robot army and challenge the conqueror himself! Let's see if they managed it!

The Tape: Cosmic Team-Up Ranking: Silver Surfer (#35)

What Went Down...
With a violent act of defiance - Jack of Hearts sacrifices his energies in a single devastating explosion! As the smoke clears, a collective of the most awesome cosmic powers stands assembled - freed from the shackles of Tyrant's matrix!

Silver Surfer leads the charge, vowing to honor Jack's sacrifice and end Tyrant's march of conquest. The techno-villain welcomes their assault -- unflinching as the Surfer's cosmic power blasts at his face! Tyrant has the confidence of an army of robotic soldiers flooding into the chamber.

The robots seize the Silver Surfer on Tyrant's behalf and drag him into the battlefield with the other cosmic powers. Regrouping, Surfer seeks attendance for the depleted Jack of Hearts, but nearest Terrax refuses to risk himself for another. Ganymede volunteers, slipping away to find Jack of Hearts in tact, but suffering grievous injuries. She's soon kicked aside by an attacking soldier!

Silver Surfer continues his obsessive rant against Tyrant. He blasts a path to the villain and attacks with a charging overhanded punch to the face! Tyrant mocks his boast to be the last man standing and unleashes his chilling power!

As Surfer is blown clear, Beta Ray Bill steps up to turn mystic Asgardian Uru against the mechanoid menace. He hurls his hammer Stormbreaker for a direct hit against Tyrant's chest -- but it doesn't even move him!

Gladiator stands with Bill as he receives his returning hammer in utter disbelief. The Praetor of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard has seen many impressive battles and continues undeterred as he turns his unbridled power against Tyrant!

Across the battlefield: Ganymede demonstrates the unique preparation of her Sisterhood. In a whirlwind of speed and agility she cuts robotic soldiers down with her gleaming staff! It seems victory will give her time to tend to Jack of Hearts, but yet more troopers are already descending upon her!

The Silver Surfer flies in to attack the reinforcements with his power cosmic, urging Ganymede to get Jack to safety. She agrees, but solemnly vows to return to the battle she was born to fight. Not all who are present share her dedication!

Brute strength has allowed Terrax to rip and smash through the robotic hordes with relative ease -- until Morg launches a sneak attack from behind! The tackle sends the two Heralds to Galactus bouncing into a grudge match all their own!

As Stormbreaker pierces through a line of soldiers, Beta Ray Bill notes the tide of battle is taking them further from their objective. Gladiator and Silver Surfer agree, recognizing it's up to the three of them to mount an attack on Tyrant!

The villain welcomes the charge led by Silver Surfer's power cosmic. He invites the inevitable end of their deaths: first claiming Beta Ray Bill with an overhand strike that smashes him face-first into the ground.

The concussive impact turns Bill into a projectile - hurled directly at Gladiator!

Tyrant presses his attack against Gladiator, blasting the Shi'ar Guardsman in the face with high-powered eye beams. He recoils, but defiantly refuses to fall!

Clutching his face, staggered, Gladiator is totally unaware Tyrant is looming over him. With a wild swing of his left fist - the conqueror finishes his opponent with an all mighty kayo! As he does -- Silver Surfer blasts him again!

Again the Surfer boldly proclaims his necessary victory, but Tyrant swings his fist backward -- swatting his forearm into the Surfer's flight path! The blow knocks the cosmic rider to the ground, but he does not yield - with good reason!

Ganymede returns to the battle without warning - gaining the element of surprise as she strikes with her spinster's staff! The special weapon bathes Tyrant's skull in raw energy that elicits a shout of pain and shock!

Alas, the upper-hand is short-lived! Tyrant immediately knocks her out with an eyebeam blast. The better to savour the demise of the last of the Sisterhood.

Though unsuccessful; Ganymede's attack gave Silver Surfer the time he needed to recover. He stands, fists pulsing with the power cosmic as he readies his attack. Tyrant smolders with his own energies as Silver Surfer bathes him in raw cosmic power! The unfathomable projection would surely decimate any ordinary being -- but Tyrant is unscathed as he returns fire with precision accuracy!

The deadly beam knocks Silver Surfer from his feet, tossing his chromed body to the surrounding wreckage. The most powerful challenger at last joins his fallen comrades, speckled with smoke and dirt. Tyrant is unchallenged!

The Hammer...
It feels like it's going to be a pretty cosmic year - so I figured we'd kick things off with an epic cosmic battle! The all-star line-up of cosmic powers doesn't get much bigger than this -- which says a lot about the threat level of Tyrant!

Introduced an issue prior, in Silver Surfer #81: Tyrant feels roughly created as the next in a succession of major cosmic threats of the early nineties. This was two years after Thanos dominated all existence in The Infinity Gauntlet, a year after The Magus unleashed evil doppelgangers in Infinity War, and concurrent with the beginning of The Goddess' superhero holy war in Infinity Crusade.

It's always a tough ask to suddenly come up with a convincing new threat of even greater danger. I think Ron Marz and co do a pretty good job of pulling it off. It was risky to sew Tyrant's backstory into ancient, untold corners of the universe, but it's worth it for the return of Galactus right after Tyrant wins!

His impending arrival is gradually teased over the course of the super-sized issue. Readers had seen Galactus face renegade former heralds before, but that wouldn't necessarily know what was coming, or that Tyrant has the distinction of facing his former master as an equal. Their battle is ultimately waged in words: a tense negotiation designed to avoid the catastrophic cosmic destruction their powers have unleashed once before.

Neither is willing to concede defeat, but it also simply doesn't benefit them to emerge into a broken universe. I really enjoy the concept of a villain who knows and respects his opponent enough to choose not to fight. They've effectively played the battle out in their mind and no the consequence. Neither is willing to concede defeat, but it simply doesn't benefit them to emerge into a broken universe. It's almost a sci-fi twist on evenly matched masters of martial arts.

Actually, coming back to the issue today, the shifting allegiances and tangled histories reminded me a little of Dragon Ball. The brutality of Jack of Hearts and his self-sacrifice reminded me of similar scenes. The way each hero falls away slowly and rallies, only to fail, feels familiar to DBZ. There's even something vaguely Frieza about the way Tyrant's power is presented. Just a little bit.

I wouldn't call Tyrant a villain for the ages, but I like the way he takes from the existing Galactus, but also gives to another new creation. Ganymede had an issue head-start, and builds the myth of Tyrant, while also existing because of it. Her design is pretty damn early nineties, but I kinda dig it. She's got a cool, new age witch meets gymnast thing going on. In this setting, it stands out.

Today's battle is also the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths debut for Morg: the then-current Herald of Galactus who Tyrant requests to retain as a power source in his negotiation with The Devourer. Galactus refuses at first, but it's a chance Tyrant doesn't miss to stick it to his old boss (and creator).

The side battle between Morg and Terrax follows up on hostilities between those two Heralds, and is hopefully something we'll get a chance to look at in more detail in a future battle. For now, it's time to update the Fight Club rankings for the first time this year!

Such a shame to start with a big drop for a couple of our cosmic all-stars, but hopefully Beta Ray Bill and Gladiator will bounce back! Both were teased for this month's all-new relaunch of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and I'm hoping they'll be in there with the Silver Surfer and some other top characters.

If you want to explore more from these characters and the Marvel Universe, be sure to explore links throughout this post, or dive in to the Secret Archive of featured fights! You can also discover more by following on Twitter and Facebook. Be sure to throw in a like or share! Happy new year!

Winner: Tyrant
#317 (new) Tyrant
#35 (--) Silver Surfer
#321 (-181) Beta Ray Bill
#329 (-159) Gladiator
#868 (new) Ganymede
#869 (new) Morg
#883 (-186) Terrax

HERO OF THE WEEK: BETA RAY BILL (Marvel)
Real Name: Beta Ray Bill
First Appearance: Thor #337 (November, 1983)
Fight Club Ranking: #136

Featured Fights:
- vs THOR: Thor #337 (Nov 1983)
- vs SILVER SURFER: Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #2 (Sep 2009)

We may've put The Infinity Gauntlet behind us, but we're still feeling the fallout from this year's biggest theatrical superhero release: Avengers: Infinity War!

The movie is exciting record-breaking audiences with its epic ensemble against the designed entropy of Thanos, but for your seasoned comic book reader, some of the most exciting elements are nestled in detailed tangents with far reaching implications.

Last week we talked about the Red Skull's cameo appearance, and in today's Hero of the Week, we're projecting forward to explore the latest signs of Beta Ray Bill's existence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Thar be mild spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution!

Those who saw Thor: Ragnarok last year know the hammer Mjolnir was destroyed, necessitating the creation of a new hammer in Infinity War called Stormbreaker. Comics readers know that as the name of the gleaming hammer wielded by Beta Ray Bill!

There was much discussion about BRB around the time of Thor: Ragnarok. Some fans spotted his likeness on The Grandmaster's tower of former champions. Marvel overlord Kevin Feige let slip that there were intentions for a cameo, but as he told Crave Online, "There was a Beta Ray Bill, but it was so quick that you would have the same complaints that you have now. He was in it a little bit more and it just didn’t do justice. And the feeling is, if you can’t do it justice, do it later."

As much as it would've been nice to see more characters in The Grandmaster's combat arena, it's an encouraging sign that Marvel honchos are keeping the beloved B-hero in reserve! His origins are strong enough to power a fourth Thor film, even if it means sharing the screen with featured villains.

If you don't already know, the story is pretty simple: Beta Ray Bill is a genetically-enhanced warrior charged with protecting the people of the planet Korbin. The orange-toned aliens lived a relatively peaceful existence, building an empire of passive colonization. It all went sour when Surtur's fire demons began attacking, forcing them to flee their ruined galactic empire on a fleet of arc ships guarded by Beta Ray Bill! They were detected by SHIELD while fleeing fire demons, leading Nick Fury to recruit Thor to investigate. The result was the now famous battle of Thor #337!

Turns out Beta Ray Bill is a pretty good guy! At a time when such a feat was nigh unheard of; Bill was able to lift the hammer of Thor -- and use it to strike at its owner!

It was all a classic case of mistaken identity, but Bill wanted to keep his newfound godly powers to help defend his people. There was a contest, Bill once again showed himself to be worthy, so Odin decreed he deserved a hammer all his own! Thus, the mallet Stormbreaker was created, and one of the great supporting characters expanded upon the pantheon of brave Norse gods!

Replacement heroes have always been a bit of a drag, but as the first real Thor equivalent, "Beta Ray Thor" has always stood above the rest. Everything about him is just a little off-kilter, and his adventures in space with friends and foes like Silver Surfer, Ego The Living Planet, and Tyrant are a real hoot! He's a hero all his own, but he's got some real cool friends!

A movie-version will inevitably need some tweaking, but the basics are all set. Chris Hemsworth's Thor was cast into space after the fall of Asgard, and has every reason to bump into the space-faring Korbinite. They could flip the script entirely, so it's BRB who disturbs the sleeping Asgardians, or just send Thor on his merry inter-galactic way, with the basic premise of Thor #337 in tact. If the future for characters like Thor is appearances in other franchises, it always struck me that Bill was a natural for the Guardians of the Galaxy, too. Perhaps after Infinity War, Thor will continue to tagalong with them.

The trajectory of the Marvel movie universe seems to be thoroughly cosmic! Captain Marvel has the potential to be the next big hit ala; Black Panther, with the promise of Kree and Skrulls offering more thrills. Nova makes a lot of sense, and we talked a whole lot about the appeal of Firelord in recent feature fights, as well! Even the X-Men films are space-bound in the upcoming Dark Phoenix, with who knows what implications if Disney's acquisition of FOX properties goes ahead!

Marvel have made it known they have a big picture beyond Avengers. Who knows what that means! The Kree/Skrull War? Operation Galactic Storm? Secret Wars? Annihilation? Bring on the weird and wonderful universe of cosmic heroes! Let Thanos be but a beginning!

<< Hero of the Week 05/21: The Chief       [Home]      Hero of the Week 05/07: Red Skull >>

BETA RAY BILL versus THOR

Doom! (Marvel Comics)
Where: Thor #337 When: November 1983

Why: Walt Simonson How: Walt Simonson

The Story So Far...
When an experimental warp probe captures images of an unidentified, star destroying ship -- Director of SHIELD: Nick Fury has no choice but to call in the heavy artillery! With the probe destroyed by the alien craft, SHIELD has no way of knowing what will happen when it completes a light speed course headed straight for Earth!

So, why are Fury and his boys making a covert nab of a mild mannered physician who walks Central Park with a cane? Because Colonel Fury is one of the few men on Earth who knows Dr. Donald Blake is really The Mighty Thor - god of thunder! When he taps his cane, he becomes the only hero capable of travelling into deep space to confront the hostile space ship!

Little does Thor realize, his connection to the plight of the occupants inside goes far deeper than SHIELD's convenience -- and what he finds inside will be unlike anything he's ever encountered before!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Draw 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 5 (Lasers)

It's been nothing but close battles for the 10th Anniversary of The Comic Book Fight Club, but we're yet to have a match-up as literally even as this! Inherently strong, and gifted with the weapons of Norse gods - both of today's competitors owe much of their renowned might to a mutual source. Differing more greatly are their origins, and the favour they receive from Odin. Factors that will weigh heavily into today's legendary superfight spotlight!

We've seen Beta Ray Bill in action just once before on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, standing toe-to-toe with cosmic super heavyweight: The Silver Surfer [Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #2]! That's a resounding endorsement of Bill's power, but there's a big difference between that 2009 story, and his first appearance in today's 1983 issue: He doesn't yet have the Uru forged hammer Stormbreaker!

Bill's no slouch when unarmed. He's a Korbonite redesigned by his people to be their ultimate warrior! Through bio-engineering and technological enhancement he possesses phenomenal super strength, enhanced endurance, stamina, and reflexes. He's also a supremely skilled hand-to-hand fighter. A living weapon strong enough to stand up to the demon hordes of Surtur - their primary threat!

The original hammer-meister of Marvel Comics is, of course, Thor! A Norse god by birthright, he's wielded his enchanted hammer Mjolnir in recorded victories against: Super-Skrull [Thor #465], Dr. Doom [Heroes Reborn: The Return #4], Red Hulk [Hulk #6], and two titans of DC Comics: Captain Marvel [Marvel versus DC #2] and Superman [JLA/Avengers #1]!

As résumés go, it's one of the finest, showcasing an ability to beat some of the most powerful characters in two universes - but it isn't perfect! Thor and the Avengers were overwhelmed by the raw power of the unstoppable Destroyer armor in Thor (Vol. 2) #1, and they succumbed to surprise tactics from Ghost Rider in 1981's Avengers #214!

Ghost Rider wasn't worthy enough to wield the enchanted hammer Mjolnir, but he was able to use its natural return trajectory against its master! Sometimes the Odinson takes his weapon for granted, and it's around this time he will revert to frail mortal Dr. Donald Blake when separated from his hammer for more than sixty seconds. Given that Thor can summon the hammer at will, it's no mean feat to play keep away - but it's an important weakness for the few strong, or cunning enough, to take advantage of it!

The Tape: Draw Ranking: Thor (#28)

What Went Down...
Using Mjolnir to traverse time and space, Thor reaches his destination in deep space - coming face-to-hull with the warship Skuttlebutt! Even as it outpaces the thunderer the mighty machine scans his energies -- detecting a similarity with that of the true enemy that sent the warship on its mission: the deadly demons of Surtur!

Skuttlebutt fires on an unprepared Thor, who returns his own assault with a toss of his enchanted hammer! It breaches the hull, allowing Earth's defender to do his job and learn more about the threat. Inside, he recognizes a ship very much alive, and a "coldsleep defense" procedure just as living!

A giant hand explodes from a mysterious crystal and clutches Thor's inquisitive skull! The creature hurls him across the room and reveals itself - the engineered living Korbonite weapon that is: Beta Ray Bill!

As Bill threatens what he believes to be another demon agent of Surtur, he knows not the cape on which he truly tugs! Thor lets him know, swinging Mjolnir with a mighty upward strike that sends Bill flying and echoes his objection!

Bill recovers quickly, lunging at Thor with murderous intent! Mjolnir spills from Thor's grasp as the alien grapples with his wrists. The living ship Skuttlebutt has given Bill the language to engrave Thor's epitaph. Thor turns the ship against Bill, ripping at its metal walls to toss them at his foe!

The improvised metal work causes vital damage to Skuttlebutt, but fails to slow Beta Ray Bill. He rushes Thor again. The force of his right hand colliding with Thor's skull sends the thunder god's helmet airborne! It's a blow unrivalled by any of Thor's greatest foes! Were the fate of Earth not hanging in the balance, he would relish the combat. Instead, the dishevelled god fires back with a left cross and a challenge to yield. "Only in death!"

His opponent shows no signs of quitting, but Thor has vowed to protect the Earth. He knows he must strike a winning blow, but in the heat of battle, he hasn't retrieved the magic mallet Mjolnir!

The damage caused to Skuttlebutt had expedited the need for the ship to land, sending it on an accelerated course toward Earth! The proximity restores the effect of the enchantment that causes Thor to revert to Dr. Donald Blake when separated form his hammer!

He has no time to act! Bill descends upon his opponent, believing the new form to be an ill conceived tactic! A devastating blow knocks the helpless mortal out cold!

Bill doesn't question the fortune of the strange sequence of events. Instead, he seeks Mjolnir as a means of enhancing his power in the fight against Surtur. Finding only Dr. Blake's walking stick, Bill strikes it in anger -- activating the magic that transforms him into a thunder god!

The Hammer...

"Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." As we can clearly see - Beta Ray Bill is worthy! He's also the winner in yet another classic comic book confrontation for our 10th Anniversary!

There were a lot of prospective contenders for the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths anniversary month. I've always favoured a mixed bag approach, but I felt it was time to touch on some of the big battles we'd overlooked. This one kinda provides both -- a well known modern classic, but still a little leftfield.

It's debatable whether this is the best fight between the pair. They have another more evenly matched, more meaningful showdown a couple of issues later. This is the first appearance of Beta Ray Bill, though, and that put it over with me. I enjoy the issue just fine, but I love Beta Ray Bill. A milestone we had to have!

I really must impress on intrepid new readers the significance of this issue's event. Noble characters lifting Thor's hammer has become a bit of a modern cliché, but Beta Ray Bill was the first, and most shocking! Well, okay... Wonder Woman was pretty shocking [Marvel versus DC #3], but lets stay on point...

It's kind of a no brainer. The hammer isn't sworn to Thor - the powers are on offer to anyone worthy of them! An Arthurian twist given an extra jolt by the mad genius of Walt Simonson, who didn't take the obvious route of another golden haired, gleaming, virtuous white knight. Instead he created a bizarre, horse-faced alien -- an unlikely figure, intended to appear villainous on sight.

The twist gives Beta Ray Bill a slight edge over many other derivative heroes, and would-be replacements. No matter how extensive the similarities - he'll never be Thor. He won't grow up to be Thor. He isn't a weak ass doppelganger trying to grow into Thor. This guy will always be Beta Ray Bill. A weird echo, a curious odd-man out in most situations: one of Marvel's best original expansions to their pseudo Norse mythology!

I tend to think he's exactly what Marvel movies need. The first two Thor films managed to be tepid and uninteresting, devoid of memorable villains. Building a third movie around Beta Ray Bill's arrival wouldn't just inject much needed personality into an A or B conflict - it'd provide the perfect organic bridge between the terran Avengers and the cosmic Guardians of the Galaxy. It's a short leap from Surtur's demons to Thanos and his movie minions. Bill could be a great addition to The Guardians sequel, before it all comes crashing down to Earth in Infinity War. I dare to dream.

Dreams inspired by Walt Simonson, whose Kirby infused energy I sometimes took for granted as a kid - but have tremendous admiration for, today! The kind of frenetic comics that go balls to the wall to tell the story. Pencils so crazed they don't always have time for posed hero shots, and are fighting the inks that try to hold them down! Good comics!

I'll be working through the holidays to make sure there's more good comics cheer next week! The Friday Night Fights of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths land on Christmas Day! Naughty or nice, there'll be a super showdown to deck the halls with seasons beatings!

Winner: Beta Ray Bill
Stats: Skuttlebutt - 1 assist.

BETA RAY BILL versus SILVER SURFER
Godhunter: Part Two (Marvel)
Where: Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #2 When: September 2009 Why: Kieron Gillen How: Kano

The Story So Far...
After escaping an infernal parallel dimension to be briefly imprisoned by a Skrull invasion fleet; Beta Ray Bill renews his efforts as a Norse empowered hero with greater fervor than ever before. Driven to avenge the eradication of the last survivors of his Korbinite brethren, Bill accepts the burden of hunting Galactus -- the omnipotent cosmic being whose insatiable appetite claimed his people's second home planet during his absence.

Against the advice of allies such as the mighty Thor himself, Bill uses his Norse given powers, and those of his own people's sciences, to take to the stars. He has faced Galactus before, however, and is not nearly naive enough to believe himself capable of destroying the ancient devourer. Thus, Bill takes upon himself the burden of what is necessary to destroy Galactus...

Threatened with the prospect of having every world destroyed from beneath his hungry gaze by Beta Ray Bill, Galactus deploys his most legendary herald to succeed where his other, Stardust, had failed. Thus, the Silver Surfer emerges to face his former ally, with the purpose of ending his violent scheme.

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Silver Surfer 5 (Professor)
Speed: Silver Surfer 7 (Lightspeed)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Silver Surfer 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Beta Ray Bill 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Silver Surfer 7 (Cosmic)


- Once an inhabitant of the paradise world Zenn-La; Norrin Radd was forced to enter into a faustian pact for his soul in order to protect his planet and beloved, Shalla-Bal, from the endless hunger of omnipotent world devourer, Galactus.
Pledged to serve as herald to the devourer and seek out planets to satisfy his sustainance, Radd was bathed in the Power Cosmic, transforming him into the chrome-coated space rider and harbinger of death, the Silver Surfer.

When first leading Galactus toward Earth, the Silver Surfer was engaged by the Fantastic Four, who were aided by The Watcher. During battle with Thing, the Surfer was knocked into the studio appartment of a blind artist, Alicia Masters. The kind touch and concern of the sculptress was key to reawakening the spirit of Norrin Radd, who then chose to use his powers against his master. Galactus spared Earth, but exiled his herald to the confines of the Milky Way Galaxy. As a result, he briefly held membership with The Defenders, along with adventuring many more times alongside the Fantastic Four.

The Power Cosmic grants Silver Surfer a near limitless array of abilities, many of which are rarely explored. At the outer limits of his skill, the Surfer has been shown to adapt telepathy, convert matter into alternate substances, and even time travel. More typically, he possesses greatly enhanced strength, stamina, and endurance sufficient enough to withstand even the harshest of environments unphased. He channels cosmic energy into projectile bolts as a means of combat, and can also control all aspects of his board, upon which he travels. The board is an extension of his being, but does not have any inherent baring on his power.

- Emerging from the destruction of their home in the Burning Galaxy; survivors of the Korbinite race travelled through space to escape their demonic destroyers. Championed by the scientifically enhanced warrior, Beta Ray Bill, they travelled in suspended animation in a fleet of warships led by sentient vessel Skuttlebutt, designed to aid Bill in his battle against the demons that pursued them to the Milky Way Galaxy. There, Bill was met by Thor, who he hastily bested in combat and accidentally replaced when clutching the mythic hammer, Mjolnir.

Mystic enchantments prevent any but those whose spirit is truly worthy to wield the hammer of Thor. Beta Ray Bill was quickly able to prove his nobility to Odin, ruler of Asgard, and earn the same blessings as Thor when granted a mythic hammer of his own, dubbed Stormbreaker.

The weapon enhanced his already impressive strength and durability, granting him much the same powers of flight, strength, and weather manipulation as Thor. Beta Ray Bill was able to wield these powers against the mutual enemy of both the Norse Gods and Korbinites -- the fire demon, Surtur. He remains a champion and ally to those in Asgard, Earth, and countless other worlds.

Math: Silver Surfer Ranking: Silver Surfer (#35)

What Went Down...
Running in pursuit, Silver Surfer attempts to quell his former ally's firey attitude with a verbal request. The Surfer's pleas are met with a bolt fired by the hammer forged for Beta Ray Bill by order of Odin himself: a shot that does not strike it's chromed target, but creates diversion enough to allow the sentient ship, Skuttlebutt, to continue toward the target planet which Galactus intends to devour -- I'Than Prime!

Driven by a zealous determination, Beta Ray Bill again defies the Silver Surfer's attempts to rekindle their alliance of previous trusts. Without a hint of forgiveness he rises Stormbreaker above his head and strikes down at the herald of Galactus, callously judging him for his compliance, "... You serve Galactus. Thus your hands are bloody red."

The hammer leaves a crackling trail of electric energy as it knocks the Surfer clean off his board! The blow proves powerful enough to send the herald smashing into the beseiged Skuttlebutt -- he emerges with a blast of the power cosmic, requesting an opportunity to explain his renewed affiliation with Galactus. Stormbreaker absorbs the energy blast as effortlessly as Bill does the Silver Surfer's attempts to resolve the conflict peacefully.

In his staunch opposition, Beta Ray Bill does not notice the Silver Surfer's board circling around behind him. Controlling remotely as an extention of the Silver Surfer himself, it delivers a crushing blow to the base of Bill's skull!

The Silver Surfer follows his ambush attack with a rare strike from his fist.
It is a demonstration of the power his otherwise unassuming form contains, the gift the impossible power cosmic! Repeat blows spatter Beta Ray Bill's blood into space, left to drift until an opposing force slows it down.

Burning with cosmic energy, the Silver Surfer commands a battered Beta Ray Bill to remain defeated. He asks why he would defy the inevitable, to which the hammer-wielding hero retorts with the tale of the extinction of the Korbinite people. The tale of loss is one Norrin Radd -- the man the Surfer once was -- can understand all too well, as is the plight now faced by the I'Than race. The Surfer, though clearly troubled, is rendered inert by the conflict his renewed pledge to Galactus inspires. It is a moment easily capitalized upon...

Skuttlebutt fires upon the unsuspecting Surfer, unleashing a volley of blasts that send him drifting limply. The distance allows Beta Ray Bill to be reunited with his ship with the purpose of reaching the nearby planet before his opponent.

Skuttlebutt is forced to negotiate a dense field of floating space mines, sure to be easily maneuvered through by the lithe Silver Surfer, who quickly recovers and resumes his pursuit. Skuttlebutt endures the mine's explosions, but I'than attack drones prompt the Silver Surfer to flee the airspace. It is a distanced conclusion to their battle.

The Hammer...
Ladies and gentlemen; I "ummed" and I "ahhed," but in the end, I felt I had no choice but to declare this cosmic kerfuffle a draw. A less than impressive debut for Beta Ray Bill in the Infinite Wars rankings, but none the less, accurate.

Since starting The Comic Book Fight Club way back at the end of 2005, I've been hatching different schemes to get Bill in on the action. What can I say? If you're a long time reader, you know I have a soft spot for some of the so-called "unimportant" secondary characters that popular the Marvel and DC universes. I think it's fair to say that, in the grand scheme of the pseudo league this site maintains, that these characters are also what makes ranking comic book fights a lot of fun. Afterall, we all know Superman, Batman, Spider-man and the like will dominate the upper rankings. (Or so we assume).

At the time of this writing, we're well into mid-March, so I've had about half a year to get my hands on the first issue of Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter that I initially overlooked. I'm glad I did. Like so many comics these days, it was easy to read on without the set-up provided by the first issue, but it added a little bit of texture to what led to a big ol' cosmic brawl between two classic Marvel heroes.

I have to admit to being skeptical about the depth the three-issue mini-series would demonstrate under writer, Kieron Gillen. Best known for his independent Brit-pop fantasy series Phonogram, Gillen is clearly a talented writer, but in a few interviews I'd read [namely for X-Men Origins: Sabretooth], he'd given the distinct impression that he was largely unfamiliar with the superhero universes.

I'm a firm believer that a good writer can transcend his familiarity with material by being a master of his craft, and doing a little bit of research. Assuming Gillen was indeed ignorant to the characters that appear in this series, then he's a shining example of the successful side of that philosophy.

Part of Gillen's success lies in the fact that Godhunter isn't a complicated story.
The tale is a universal one, dealing chiefly with the consequences and morality of being a hero. By borrowing from some of the simple and best known mythology from the Marvel universe -- the enchantment of Thor and Bill's hammers, as well as Galactus' status as a devourer of worlds -- the story gains an additional level of resonance and poginant context that other versions couldn't have. It's a type of storytelling that confirms other philosophies I personally hold, such as the notion that corporate comics like those at DC and Marvel are rendered inherently unique by the tapestry of context their years of publication has created.

It's nice to see the Silver Surfer back in action.
Where once the Kirby/Lee creation stood equal with many of Marvel's greatest icons, in recent years he's well and truly lost his lustre. It disappoints me that the character has fallen into such obscurity, many younger fans would find it difficult to imagine the character supporting his own series. Something he did do, with mixed results, for a couple of decades.

It doesn't seem starring as titular pseudo-villain in a commercially successful film has helped much either, probably because comic fans regard the Fantastic Four films [re; Rise of the Silver Surfer] with such relative disdain. Maybe Super Hero Squad will do some him good, particularly as the series recently ended with the big unveiling of Galactus and some of the key backstory of the character. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the renewed association of herald/master over here in the comics, but I did recently read that part of the thinking behind that decision is to leave the character idle until a strong solo direction can be conceived.

Part the Surfer's downfall comes inadvertently from the general loss of interest in comics and by extention, more complex comics, throughout the nineties. The cosmic corners of the Marvel Universe have been gradually expanding, however, since their exciting resurrection in Drax and then the cosmic mini-event, Annihilation. Marvel's cosmic connections have been maintained ever since, through rebooted titles like Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as subsequent mini-events, like Annihilation Conquest and War of Kings.

It was a lot of fun jumping back in with Beta Ray Bill and I hope we get a chance to see more from the character in the future (without any lasting damage)!

Each issue reprints a chapter of Walt Simonson's original three-part introduction of the character, which only serves to remind how well the classics did it. I must admit to being somewhat cynical about Marvel's 2010 announcement for a "Heroic Age" of Marvel Comics, regarding it as something of a response to DC's five-year strength with classical renditions of their catalogue of characters -- but if nothing else, it will be nice if some of the energy and indulgence of these Simonson issues of Thor can be recaptured!

Kano -- artist on Godhunter -- certainly lacks Simonsons's bombastic cartoon energy, but shouldn't go without a mention before I wrap this up. He exhibits a good sense of drama, getting particularly good emotion out of the horse-faced Bill on the last page shock of this issue, which reveals the Stormbreak enchantment has rendered him unable to lift his hammer -- unworthy of it's power for his decision to fight Galactus by denying him sustainance (by destroy each world he targets).

At times, Kano's space scapes feel a little sparse, and I do question some of the direction of scenes. At times, his panels appear awkwardly close or distant from the action, which seems to work counter-intuitively to the spacial nature of a fight like the one between Bill and Silver Surfer.


The last time Kano appeared in the Infinite Wars action, he was contributing some sort of embellishment to David Lafuente's beautiful pencils [Spider-man Family #2]. His rise as penciller of Ultimate Spider-man Comics probably says it all, but the benefit of Lafuente's direction in that issue becomes all the more apparent in the first-credited Kano's work.

The Issue: 4.5 The Fight: 4

Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter is a three-part mini-series published by Marvel Comics. It is also currently available in collected format and can be purchased using the Amazon links provided. You'll find plenty more collected editions based upon the issues reviewed in the Secret Archives, by checking out the Online Store. Using links provided by the site helps sponsor future entries! The Infinite Wars are running on low power in 2010, but be sure to vote in the 2009 Annual DC vs Marvel Fantasy Fight polls at the top of the right menu.