SUPERMAN versus BLOODSPORT

Bloodsport! (DC)
Where: Superman #4 When: April 1987
Why: John Byrne How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
December 23rd: A day for merry-making and last minute shopping in the bustling city of Metropolis -- but what do you get the man who has everything? For billionaire businessman Lex Luthor the answer is simple: the death of Superman!

To make Luthor's dream come true a man named Robert DuBois is anonymously outfitted with state of the art technology to grant him instant access to an arsenal of any weapon he can imagine. He's more than happy to spit in the eye of Superman, but Lexcorp got more than they bargained for -- a violent and troubled loose cannon!

DuBois is putting the people of Metropolis on notice for squandering their hard-earned freedoms. Embittered by the struggles of American soldiers during the Vietnam War, he's bringing the frontline to the unappreciative masses -- guns blazing! In a burger joint full of massacred patrons, Jimmy Olsen activates his watch in a desperate call to bring Superman to the rescue!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Superman 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Superman 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Draw 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Superman 5 (Lasers)
Total: Superman 33 (Super)

It looks like the deck is heavily stacked in favour of Superman, but the stats only tell part of the story. Bloodsport may be completely outmatched in a physical confrontation, but his ability to conjure weapons makes him a deadly adversary!

Robert DuBois received his firepower from Lex Luthor, who hoped to direct his technology against Superman under a veil of plausible deniability. Exactly how the tech works isn't specified, but subtext suggests that a teleportation device delivers weapons from an unspecified Lexcorp arsenal -- rather than inventing the them out of pure imagination.

A gun cabinet might not sound so impressive against a man whose body is famously bulletproof, but these aren't ordinary popguns. Lex Luthor has applied his brilliant mind & fortune to build destructive weapons specifically designed to hurt Superman -- and although he's tasted defeat -- Lex is still pretty good at it!

Luthor was able to effortlessly defeat Superman's cousin when they clashed in Supergirl (Vol.5) #3. Key to his victory was his famous powersuit, but also the means to access and synthesize kryptonite: the radioactive space mineral that inflicts a variety of illnesses and weakness on exposed Kryptonians.

Batman used a kryptonite bullet against Superman to devastating effect in Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1, and deployed man-made explosives, via The Flash, with effective results in The Dark Knight Strikes Again #1.

Saviour showed similarities to Bloodsport in Action Comics #713, conjuring a gun from thin air that was capable of blasting Superman deep into concrete. In other words: just because Superman can take a bullet -- doesn't mean it won't hurt!

Like Saviour; Bloodsport also has a disturbed psychological profile, exhibiting tendencies of a violent psychopath. He's already shot into a heavily populated burger restaurant, and that means Superman will have to be mindful to keep casualties to a minimum when he catches up with him elsewhere in the city.

This seems like it should be a slam dunk for Superman, just like when he and Batman shut down a shootout between Bloodsport and Deadshot, but there's no denying there are complicating factors. Let's take a look...

The Tape: Superman Ranking: Superman (#4)

What Went Down...

Chunks of ceiling fall across the alleys of Kenmoore bowling as Bloodsport grips his hand over a woman's mouth and fires his futuristic hand-cannon towards the sky.

He pulls his hostage close to his chest and berates the terrified patrons lying face down on the floor. "You creeps! You stupid, crawling creeps! Look at you! Soft and wet and useless! All of you!! Me an' Mickey bought your liberty with our lives!"

His vague tirade is interrupted when a bowling ball clinks onto the ball return and draws his attention. He looks up to find Superman standing in the alley, tossing a heavy black ball in one hand like a baseball. After the day's earlier mass shooting, Superman isn't in a very good mood.

"Okay, big mouth, you can let the lady go now, and drop that pea-shooter. Then I'll give you about three seconds to come up with a good reason why I shouldn't bowl a few frames with your head."

Bloodsport presses the barrel of his gun to his hostage's head and warns his true target not to come any closer.

Stone-faced, Superman glares sternly through Bloodsport who scowls right back at him. The massive gun hovers by the hostage's head, her eyes looking wide toward the danger, he mouth still covered. A stand-off.

Superman begins to take a step and Bloodsport's finger tightens against the trigger -- but the Man of Steel moves so fast he's able to pull the hostage clear while pushing the firing gun harmlessly towards the ceiling!

A short punch with his free left hand knocks Bloodsport off his feet and away from the hi-tech gun.

Presuming the gunman is safely disarmed, Superman makes plans to take him downtown to a prison cell and psychiatric evaluation -- but Bloodsport keeps grandstanding and talking war hypotheticals like Superman owes him something.

To Superman's shock -- another weapon materializes in Bloodsport's grip!

He presumes there's no handgun on Earth that can harm him, but he's drastically under estimated Bloodsport's resources once more. This gun, though small, was designed with Superman in mind, and carries Kryptonite ammunition!

Bloodsport's aim isn't as impressive as his weaponry, but a Kryptonite needle buried in Superman's shoulder is enough to start his powers failing! He drops to one knee and clutches the wound, holding a chair for support.

The would-be war veteran gloats over his wounded opponent: "Ha ha ha ha! Not so smug now, eh, Supes-baby? Not so high and mighty after all!"

Bloodsport cocks the dart-gun and presses the reloaded barrel against the base of Superman's skull, but before he deliver a killing blow -- Jimmy Olsen announces himself with Bloodsport's other high-powered gun in hand!

The photog' plays the part of the tough guy just fine, ordering Bloodsport to drop his gun and Superman to stay low, in case he's forced to open fire.

Bloodsport isn't quite sold, claiming he used to "eat twerps like you for breakfast" in Vietnam. He doubts Olsen even knows how to fire the gun, but Jimmy\s counting on the destructive power and close range to make-up for any deficiencies in the particulars of his gun etiquette.

The tête-à-tête is enough to convince Bloodsport to "drop it", but what he drops is summoned to his hand behind his back -- a gas bomb to cover his escape!

Bloodsport high-tails it out of the bowling alley, leaving Superman's pal Jimmy Olsen to see to it that Superman is taken to the emergency room.

The Hammer...

It might sound sensational to say Bloodsport sent Superman to the hospital in their very first encounter -- but that's exactly how it ended!

It's not quite the claim being circulated by the 2021 Suicide Squad movie. They put it that Idris Elba's Bloodsport sent Superman to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). That would imply a more severe, longer lasting injury, but hey. It's still a rare occurance!

A Dr. Sanchez is attending when Superman is brought in to the emergency room, and successfully removes the fragments of Kryptonite from the wound -- instantly restoring Superman's invulnerability and recuperative powers. That swiftly negates any need for a longer stay in the ICU.

In fact, the doctor was forced to re-expose Superman to some of the Kryptonite fragments just to finish suturing the wound. Such are the impressive recovering powers of Kryptonian physiology drenched in the Earth's nourishing yellow sun!

As for Bloodsport: he was free to continue his campaign of terror across Metropolis in the name of waking up America's gluttonous consumers.

He accuses the people of being indifferent to the sacrifices he and his brother Mickey made while fighting in Vietnam, but there's one small problem: Bloodsport never went to Vietnam.

Robert DuBois was actually a draft dodger who fled to Canada to avoid being called into service. That left his younger brother Michael to be drafted and shipped off to Vietnam in his place, where the soldier lost both arms and legs in the line of duty. Or at least what passed for duty in such a controversial conflict, which Michael DuBois calls a war people just want to forget.

It's a pretty prickly subject, but it certainly gives Bloodsport a bit more edge than your average Metropolis gunman. I shouldn't call criticism of the Vietnam War in popular culture a non-controversial exercise, but it was certainly not uncommon.

"Bloodsport" and DuBois might have you thinking of Jean-Claude Van Damme, but his star-making Bloodsport film was still almost a year away, and his character in The Quest, Chris DuBois, closer to a full decade. Superman #4 is, however, five years behind the release of another major action movie: First Blood -- Sylvester Stallone's most nuanced portrayal of troubled veteran John Rambo.

The influence seems pretty clear, right down to the red bandana, Rambo II style wardrobe, and French sounding surname. Rather than carrying the trauma of having fought in war, Bloodsport subverts expectations with a sort of survivor's guilt for what became of his brother by his absence from war.

It might seem a little frivolous for a Superman  comic, but it isn't a story without merit or sympathy, touching on the far reaching effects of war, and even gun violence in modern America. It speaks truth, couched in the tropes of superheroes, and sometimes that makes for some of the best concepts.

If there's ever been a better metaphor for the type of gun control laws that exist in the majority of other countries -- I don't know what it is. Bloodsport is clearly not someone who should have unlimited access to high-powered weapons. Sadly, a concept that has only become more apparent decades later. Rambo as bad guy.

The real revelations about Bloodsport come when Superman catches up with him for a better-informed rematch. You can bet your bottom dollar we'll document that one sometime in the future.

If you'd like to expedite the rematch process, you can let me know in the comments, or become a Patreon subscriber at the Tier 4 level to request your choice of featured fight. The lower levels begin at $1 and help support our ever-growing archive of superhero smackdown and comic book reviews.

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured more than 600 battles and ranked well over 1000 characters! You can find all your Suicide Squad favourites and more by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of battles by publisher, series, and issue number. Or just follow links throughout this post and others to discover more from your favourite subjects!

You can get the jump on Bloodsport's first appearance by checking out today's featured issue collected in the Superman: The Man of Steel Vol.1 hardcover, or the earlier softcover edition of Superman: The Man of Steel Vol.3. Use the Amazon purchase links provided and you'll not only find yourself a good deal, but you'll also be supporting the site at no extra cost to you! Take that, Bezos!

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Winner: Bloodsport
#407 (+541) Bloodsport
#4 (--) Superman
#190 (+118) Jimmy Olsen [+1 assist]

DEADSHOT versus BLOODSPORT

World's Finest: Year Ten - War of the Worlds! (DC)
Where: Batman & Superman: World's Finest #10 When: January 2000 Why: Karl Kesel How: Dave Taylor & Tom Morgan

The Story So Far...
Simultaneous breakouts at Stryker's Island Prison and Arkham Asylum spell double trouble for Metropolis and Gotham City. Some of the deadliest super-criminals from both cities have been let loose -- and the twins responsible are inspiring a turf war that could tear Gotham apart!

Leading a first-wave assault on the Gotham City docks is the ultimate gunman whose arsenal will never run out of ammunition. Bloodsport is just one of the Metropolis super-powers who've come to take over, but little does he know he's stepped into the sights of Deadshot!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Deadshot 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Deadshot 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Deadshot 3 (Strong Willed)
Agility: Deadshot 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Deadshot 4 (Training)
Energy: Bloodsport 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Deadshot 23 (Champion)

They say Deadshot doesn't miss, but will the master marksman be able to make the perfect shot when his opponent is quicker on the draw? That's the challenge he faces against the man of a thousand weapons: Bloodsport!

Robert DuBois was plucked from obscurity by Lex Luthor, and outfitted with state of the art technology that allows him to teleport any weapon imaginable directly into his hands. This even included a gun that fires kryptonite needles when he was first deployed to hunt and destroy Superman!

In theory that means Bloodsport has a limitless arsenal and more firepower than Deadshot, but as The Tape stats show -- that's really his only clean advantage.

DuBois lacks Deadshot's finesse and expertise with arms. In Suicide Squad #6 we saw Deadshot's perfect aim when he creased the skull of an airborne Enchantress with a non-lethal shot fired from a significant distance!

That also shows Deadshot is cool under pressure, performing under immediate threat of Rick Flag and oncoming soldiers. The stakes were just as high in Legends #3 when he used a single-shot laser gun to bring down the rampaging Apokolips beast Brimstone.

Some of his cool nerve can be attributed to an apparent death wish, but Floyd Lawton's jaded outlook isn't nearly as volatile as Bloodsport's!

DuBois espouses the virtue of soldiers who've served their country, but he never actually went to war himself, despite verbiage to the contrary. In truth he was a "draft dodger" who fled to Canada, leaving his younger brother Mickey to take his place, and lose both arms & legs in action in Vietnam.

Suffering a psychotic breakdown that took him on several tours through Canadian psychiatric care; Bloodsport ultimately channeled his self-loathing into aggression towards perceived symbols of modern American apathy. The epitome of this was Superman, but he makes no bones about gunning down civilians, either.

There's a case to be made that speed might be used against Deadshot. He was admitted to the Suicide Squad only after The Flash took him down in Legends #1. On the other hand, fast shooting saved his neck when the Manticore had him pinned down in Suicide Squad #2.

Bloodsport's hopes really rely on coming in guns blazing. Otherwise, he appears to lack any real training or the combat skills necessary to outfight Deadshot.

The Tape: Deadshot Ranking: Deadshot (#72)

What Went Down...
Bloodsport shouts a warning of "incoming" as he unloads with a massive hi-tech blaster cannon on the Gotham West Side docks. It is a courtesy with a purpose -- the shot itself a warning of sorts, that "Metropolis Muscle" is taking over!

"GOT YOUR ATTENTION, PEOPLE? GOOD! 'CAUSE FROM NOW ON, THESE DOCKS ARE RUN BY METROPOLIS MUSCLE! WE CLEAR?"

The message is heard loud and clear, but Gotham's criminal underworld have been warned of the incursion and come prepared.

No sooner has Bloodsport finished his bold declaration of takeover, than Deadshot has a wrist-mounted gun barrel pointed at the back of his head.

He calmly orders Bloodsport to drop the massive cannon.

The Metropolis gunman complies, but for someone who can will any weapon into his hand with a mere thought -- disarming is a temporary predicament.

Bloodsport's hand begins to glow a familiar blue as he wonders which of them would be faster on the draw: He with his "arms-transporter" -- or Deadshot with his trademark wrist-mounted magnum?

The marksman either doesn't see it coming, or simply allows a futuristic pistol to materialize in Bloodsport's hand to indulge a shootout. Bloodsport twirls around as soon as the gun is in his hand and opens fire!

Bloodsport manages to get off three shots as he dives to his right, but Deadshot leans clear and aims true -- shattering the gun in Bloodsport's hand with a single crack shot!

In an instant Bloodsport fills his other hand with another gun and fires wildly. He may not have Deadshot's expert aim, but he reckons that toppling a brick wall directly behind him with superior firepower will finish him just fine.

Deadshot stands his ground and invites Bloodsport to join him in Hell.

Before the Gotham local can make good on his threat, two caped crusaders come swooping out of the blue to bring their deadly battle to an end!

Superman grabs Deadshot and pulls him clear of the brick debris, while Batman swoops down from above to silence Bloodsport with an overhead kayo!

The Hammer...

If you were hoping for a definitive answer to who the superior gunman is: I'm afraid you'll have to keep wondering! This was an issue of World's Finest, and the title pairing of Superman & Batman swooped in to steal the win.

Although published with a cover date of 2000; the conceit of the World's Finest mini-series means it's set sometime in the past. The majority of each issue takes place in a different subsequent year, which means around sixty years of publication history was consolidated into an adjusted ten year timeline.

The penultimate issue touched upon the aftermath of Death of Superman and Knightfall, but it seems World's Finest #10 also might take place somewhere in what would've been the real-time publishing period of the early nineties. It's a little difficult to say for sure, and Bloodsport's presence is the primary reason.

Robert DuBois was gunned down violently in a 1995 issue of Adventures of Superman. He doesn't make any subsequent appearance before 2000, which seemed to reinforce his untimely death.

Steel also makes an appearance in World's Finest #10, wearing what looks like his original S shield armor, but might be a later version adopted around '97. The latter would sit better with the involvement of the villain Riot, who debuted in 1996, in Superman: Man of Steel. Either way, somebody clearly got confused.

Death being what it is in modern day comics: the permanence and status of Robert DuBois' death has been a little difficult to track ever since.

Another Bloodsport appeared on the scene in 1993 with significantly different prejudices. There may also in fact be a third unidentified Bloodsport who just happens to look almost identical to Robert DuBois.

It's difficult to know for sure if there actually is a lookalike, or if World's Finest #10 merely began a chain of confusion that continued with later creators, who presumably wanted to call back to the slightly obscure early post-Crisis villain, but didn't know or care that he was dead.

The line wide relaunch of the New 52 definitively restored Robert DuBois to the new canon, allowing him to make a couple of appearances in The Flash. It seems safe to assume he'll be sticking around now that Idris Elba has been revealed as a live-action Robert DuBois in next year's The Suicide Squad movie.

The fact that it was long rumored Elba would replace Will Smith as Deadshot made today's featured fight a particularly fun battle to dig up from obscurity.

I have to imagine the film will inspire DC Comics to utilize the character much more, possibly setting up for a future rematch with Floyd Lawton, assuming he returns from whatever nonsense has befallen him. It wouldn't surprise me if the comic follows the movie's lead and swaps Bloodsport in very soon. That tends to be the way things work, these days.

It actually strikes me that the relative obscurity of Bloodsport will work in favour of both the filmmakers and DC.

The choice offers a low risk way to reinvent a character, and potentially mint a new lasting icon in the process. It's also a much more pleasing and genuine way to address ethnic diversity in comic book films, as opposed to casting against type as they did for Deadshot.

Bloodsport may seem like a bit of a nothing character, but in the future we may take a closer look at his first appearance to uncover what is a surprisingly strong debut for an otherwise forgotten villain. I've certainly overlooked the character all these years, but it's probably no surprise the John Byrne introduction works. We'll talk more about the glaring Van Damme connection, too. I know you saw it!

In the mean time: Bloodsport becomes the 987th character added to the Fight Club Rankings!

You can check out adjusted ranks for all featured characters at the bottom of current updates. Follow links throughout this post to discover more from each combatant -- and many more!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 650 comic book battles and you can find them all in the Secret Archive! Links are indexed by publisher, series, and issue number. Or subscribe on Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to superhero smackdown inspired by the topics of the day. Don't forget to like & share updates if you do!

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Winners: Batman & Superman
#1 (--) Batman
#5 (--) Superman
#80 (-8) Deadshot
#933 (new) Bloodsport (Robert DuBois)