SUPERMAN versus DEATHSTROKE

Sins of the Father (DC)
Where: Superman #68 When: June 1992
Why: Dan Jurgens How: Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding

The Story So Far...
For his entire adult life Slade Wilson has been caught in a cycle of violence, warfare, and betrayal. As Deathstroke The Terminator he's one of the world's most dangerous mercenaries, but his pursuit of a corrupt CIA agent has made him a wanted fugitive from the law!

Delayed on the tarmac in a commercial flight arriving to Metropolis, the disguised mercenary soon realizes he's the target of an undercover sting. His escape from the heavily armed Special Crimes Unit has unforeseen consequences when stray bullets strike a stewardess who also happens to be the daughter of an old war buddy - Sam Lane!

The wounded Lucy Lane is also the sister of Lois, whose romantic involvement with Superman sets the hero on a mission to find the man accused of responsibility. They were allies when the shadow of Warworld was cast over the planet, but now Deathstroke is being hunted!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Deathstroke 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Superman 5 (Lasers)
Total: Superman 33 (Super)

Superman is pretty much out of Deathstroke's league, but we come to this battle with the entrenched legend that a mortal man with skill, determination, and resources can orchestrate the downfall of The Man of Steel!

There was always the example of Superman's arch-nemesis Lex Luthor, but The Dark Knight Returns #4 established an enduring romantic vision for tactics and fighting ability levelling the playing field. It's something we've seen play out over many subsequent rematches. So if Batman can do it -- why not Deathstroke?

Along with extensive military training and field experience; Slade Wilson boasts super-human enhancements that put him a step ahead of most men.

Functioning with 90% brain capacity increases his tactical processing, speed, and reflexes, allowing Deathstroke to get the absolute most out of his performance in combat situations.

The greatest example of his potential may be Identity Crisis #3: There he was able to match and neutralize the super-powered ranks of the Justice League, by undertaking a specific detailed strategy for each opponent, including The Flash, Zatanna, Hawkman, Black Canary, and Green Lantern!

It wasn't a fluke, either. Two years after his debut Deathstroke performed the rare feat of beating Marvel's X-Men in the 1982 crossover Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans! The same issue also showed him ruthlessly defeating Batman's greatest student and his frequent Teen Titans adversary - Dick Grayson.

Superman is usually the overwhelming obstacle a less powerful character aims to overcome, but in more recent years that's a role Deathstroke has served. He was part of The Society team that devastated the Freedom Fighters in Infinite Crisis #1, and played the lone unbeatable bogeyman in Birds of Prey #90, and Green Arrow #62. The unpowered Green Arrow also stopped him in Identity Crisis.

With the right circumstances Deathstroke could almost certainly beat Superman, but operating alone will he have the necessary resources? Let's find out...

The Tape: Superman Ranking: Superman (#5)

What Went Down...

Deathstroke knows he's taking a risk vaulting across the Metropolis skyline in plain sight. Ordinarily he'd never chance such a visible dash -- not when he can be so easily spotted by the likes of Superman!

The Man of Steel has been looking for Deathstroke since the mercenary was inadvertently involved in the shooting of Lucy Lane. Superman has no way of knowing Deathstroke is innocent -- and is out to get answers!

Superman orders Deathstroke to give up and be taken in, but The Terminator has no intentions of going quietly. He unloads with a full plasma blast from his energy lance, and turns his enhanced mind to coming up with a means of escape!

Knowing he's outmatched: Deathstroke leaps from the rooftop -- relying on reflexes and guile to take him to a flag pole on the side of the building, providing a means of slowing his descent into a graceful flip! The flip sends him towards a street light, which in turn allows him to swing safely to the main street below!

The daring display keeps Deathstroke on step ahead of Superman, who thinks the mercenary has erred by landing dangerously close to the path of an oncoming Lexfreight delivery truck.

The speeding traffic provides enough momentary cover for Deathstroke, who rolls between the wheels of the truck and lies motionless within the exhaust fumes of passing vehicles -- until a bus passes over and provides a means of escape!

While Superman scans the road behind for signs of injury -- Deathstroke snags the rear bumper of the bus and swings himself onto the roof!

The invincible Superman soon thinks twice about Deathstroke's mortal frailty and spots him crouched on the escaping public transport.

Knowing he must keep moving to stay one step ahead of the impressed Superman -- Deathstroke leaps from the bus and backflips through the display window of a nearby department store!

Superman pursues, remaining intent on bringing his former-ally in. He scans the store, peering through the dark and listening with super-human accuracy.

With knowledge of Deathstroke's troubled past, Superman appeals to The Terminator's emotions. He mentions the mercenary's dead son and the potential cost of his latest violent actions, causing Slade Wilson's steady heart rate to spike.

Cheap ceiling tiles lift away easily to reveal Deathstroke hidden in the darkness of the space above. In seconds he's plucked from his hiding place and held in the inescapable steel grip of a rear naked choke!

Superman comes down hard on his short-lived ally, but Deathstroke asks for his trust and passage to Lucy Lane's hospital room. He knows he's been beaten, but his heart is still intent on confronting.

The Hammer...

With modern eyes it's kinda refreshing to look back on an issue that unashamedly respects Superman as the indomitable hero he is. Deathstroke made a valiant attempt at escape, but never really stood a chance.

For the fight fans: I don't doubt that Deathstroke could defeat Superman.

This issue makes some of the concessions you would usually find in an upset win against The Man of Steel. We might accept that Deathstroke moved suddenly enough to catch Superman flat-footed at first, but disappearing onto the road while traffic rolls over him is straining plausibility -- even without X-Ray vision.

We're led to believe Superman is coming into this face-off extra motivated by the shooting of Lucy Lane, but the plot also plays off of trust built by his recent team-up with Deathstroke just a few months prior, in Panic in the Sky.

Superman actually recruited Deathstroke from a rooftop in that story. He was seeking tactical leadership for a preemptive military strike against Brainiac's Warworld. An effort to take the war to space before it destroyed the Earth.

Indeed, Deathstroke successfully guided a team of heroes through the frontlines of Panic in the Sky, and you might've been fooled into thinking it was a full submission of the morally grey mercenary into prospective herodom.

Slade Wilson was already skirting the line of being a hero as the main protagonist of his own on-going series, and the Justice League had certainly welcomed more unusual members into their line-up over the years. It wasn't to be, though.

Ultimately Superman #68 serves to balance the books. Deathstroke still isn't an outright villain -- he wasn't directly responsible for Lucy Lane being shot while he escaped Maggie Sawyer's Special Crimes Unit -- but he's never the less returned to a more morally grey, antagonistic position.

Superman successfully takes The Terminator into custody at the end of this issue, and in his own series Deathstroke is moved to prison. He was setup by a corrupt CIA agent, but it hardly matters. Wilson quickly stages an escape that brings him into conflict with the Justice League and firmly ensconces him in outlaw status.

It's a pleasant reminder of just how much Deathstroke ventured into the larger DCU in the early nineties. 2004's Identity Crisis #3 might be viewed as the moment he was cemented as a villain for the entire DC Universe, but he'd already had a series of encounters with a who's who of DC heroes by that point.

I'm very much enjoying expanding the Deathstroke file and I'm sure we'll take a closer look at some of those other battles in the future. If you'd like to find them, or plenty of other featured fights, you should follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index ordered by publisher and series!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 1000 characters! If you like what it's all about you can help the project continue to grow by supporting on Patreon. As a thank you patrons receive access to additional updates, polls, and custom article options.

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If you'd like to witness today's featured fight in its entirety you can find it collected as part of Deathstroke The Terminator Vol. 2: Sympathy for the Devil. Use the Amazon purchase link provided to get yourself a good deal delivered to your door -- and you'll also support the site at no extra cost!

Winner: Superman
#4 (+1) Superman
#81 (-3) Deathstroke

JUSTICE LEAGUE versus DOOMSDAY

Countdown To Doomsday! (DC)
Where: Superman #74 When: December 1992 Why: Dan Jurgens How: Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding

The Story So Far...
It came from out of the blue! A hulking monster clad in green garb and binding tubes! The severity of its hidden face -- completely alien in the surrounding countryside. It's reason for being -- obscured by mindless carnage!

The Justice League had no way of knowing what they were confronting when they intercepted a call for help from an inter-state highway! They couldn't have anticipated the sequence of events they would trigger -- events that will change their world forever!

With Blue Beetle barely clinging to life, Maxima is compelled to leave the fight to usher him to safety. In her place, Superman arrives to aid the league in their effort to stem the monster's destruction! The Man of Steel will not face any ordinary alien menace on this day. This is the coming of Doomsday!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Doomsday 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Superman 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speeds)
Stamina: Doomsday 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Martian Manhunter 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting: Doomsday 7 (Born Fighter)
Energy: Guy Gardner 7 (Cosmic Power)


Justice League America are: Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Fire, Ice, Bloodwynd and Superman. Otherwise occupied are Maxima and Blue Beetle (Ted Kord): the latter of which was injured in a preceding skirmish with Doomsday.

Ah! Major comics properties in the 1990s... A decade that demands clarification in the Tale of the Tape, as much as analysis! As you've already seen: the Justice League were a far cry from the "Big Seven" roster you may be more familiar with. Even Superman is here as a tagalong drawn in by the fighting - and not part of the active line-up! For the uninitiated, there are a few other important differences in character to note.

Former Green Lantern Guy Gardner wields a Qwardian yellow power ring at this stage of his career -- better known in the future as the weapon of the Sinestro Corps! The mysterious figure known as Bloodwynd is in actual fact Martian Manhunter, who is impersonating a lost hero under the mind-altering influence of the Blood Gem. The true Bloodwynd is trapped inside with the demon Rott.

It's a bit of a mixed up time for the JLA, but they're by no means at their worst. In terms of firepower they're stocked with: Booster Gold's super-strong, super durable powersuit from the future, Guy Gardner's experience as a Green Lantern and the diverse properties of his energy ring, Bloodwynd's mystic powers via the Martian Manhunter's own blend of super strength, invulnerability, mental powers and more. Fire commands green flame and is capable of reaching states of intangibility. Ice is probably the weakest member offensively, but even she offers strategic advantages with the use of ice magic.

Each member has their own individual weaknesses, but what they lack as a whole is cohesion. In battle with Doomsday, Guy Gardner may be their pinch hitter, but his brash attitude and fearlessness means he can be isolated, or even redirected against his teammates. Martian Manhunter's vulnerability to fire could be exploited with Fire on the team, and Ice will need to be on her toes as well, especially surrounded by so much super-powered muscle!

It's impossible to separate this match-up from its inevitable end. This is part of The Death of Superman - a story that implies an end. Doomsday's primary threat at this stage of the game is physical. He's a sadistic, invulnerable brute with a penchant for punching, and throwing large objects. Ordinarily, that's a day at the office for Superman -- but Doomsday's Kryptonian history, and steeled origins through cruel evolution mean he's uniquely suited to withstand most physical threats.

Conventional wisdom says Bloodwynd/Martian Manhunter may be the best way to deal with Doomsday. The mystic Blood Gem can create illusions, teleport the possessor, and project fear through the "Sentence Stare" -- valuable tools in turning Doomsday against himself. Likewise, the Martian's natural telepathic potential could also be used to assault Doomsday's mind, although given his mindless bloodlust, it's impossible to know if he could be manipulated in any meaningful way. His rage may be too great! Let's see what happened...

The Tape: Superman Ranking: Superman (#6)

What Went Down...

A domestic scene like any other. A broken family, tempers flare. A sense of normalcy rudely interrupted by the shattering of glass and the limp body of the heroine called Ice!

The rest of the Justice League are unconscious or indisposed. Ice stands alone against a monster who moments earlier matched the league with one arms tied behind its back! Thrown miles from the fight - the hero of the future Booster Gold bumped into Superman. He introduces The Man of Steel to the concept of the threat by giving it a name: Doomsday!

Arriving on the scene: Superman fearlessly confronts the monster - taking a body blow from its free arm chest-on! The monster recognizes a need to up the ante, leaning back to unleash a kick that winds The Man of Steel, and sends his limp body hurtling through the nearby housing project!

With Superman out of the way, the monster turns his attentions back to Booster Gold. He grabs the hero by the skull and introduces his face into a nearby tree! Booster's suit tech cushions the blow, but he's still left slumped on the stump.

As if drawn to suffering, Doomsday explodes into what remains of the demolished project home. He gravitates toward Ice - unconscious inside the house when it collapsed! He drives his fist down and laughs at the cracking.

Just as the beast set eyes on an innocent woman and her baby, Superman rallies to knock it back! Superman pledges to cover her escape as the available members of the Justice League rejoin the fight! With Booster Gold, Fire, Guy Gardner, and Bloodwynd at his back - Superman leads a frontal assault!

The assembled Leaguers focus their fullest powers on their rampaging foe! Superman's heat vision, Fire's flame, Booster Gold's energy gauntlets, Guy Gardner's yellow power ring, Bloodwynd's eye blasts! They give it their all!

The maelstrom of energies obscures Doomsday in a haze of pure power and smoke! It gives the injured occupants of the demolished home their opportunity to escape, but as Fire begins to flicker out, and Booster's power cells deplete, the horrifying truth begins to emerge. Gardner can't imagine anyone surviving their efforts. Survive Doomsday has! And with his restraints broken by the blast, he is unbound for the first time - and ready to attack!

Doomsday rushes the league -- too fast to be avoided! The alien behemoth's charge launches the heroes across the battlefield!

His spiny fists free to do their wicked work, the monster again targets a now vulnerable Booster Gold. Clutching his throat he throws a furious right hand, and lets out another "Ha!" with a rising left. Doomsday then drags Booster to the nearby wrecked family car and slams his head shut in it!

Blinded from the earlier battle - Guy Gardner can only hear Booster's bones as they break. He's too slow to aim his ring and hope for the best. Doomsday tosses Booster's broken body and eliminates the meagre threat.

Superman and Bloodwynd fly in for a two-front assault, but Doomsday is prepared to neutralize that threat, as well! A couple of well placed, unbound backward jabs stop both powerhouses in their tracks -- and send Bloodwynd's eye beams wildly off target!

The stray blast ignites a powerful fire. It isn't long before the flames reach the housing project gas line. The resulting explosion engulfs everyone present in a raging inferno! Ironically, Fire is knocked unconscious in the chaos.

Unaffected by the heat - Doomsday launches himself skyward. Superman sees his leap and takes pursuit, but with the Justice League and the endangered family home owners vulnerable he has no choice but to abandon the chase!

They will meet again soon enough...

The Hammer...

With Superman the only Justice League hero still conscious, yet tactically neutralized, I have no choice but to call Doomsday the winner! I don't think the brutalized JLA will be able to disagree!

It's an explosive victory for the villain's long awaited Secret Wars on Infinite Earths debut, and a big finish to a massive month of 10th Anniversary celebrations!

Back at the beginning: I promised to mark the occasion with a mix of modern classics and frequently requested favourites. Doomsday has consistently ranked among the most sought after characters - and it's The Death of Superman that is the reason why! Admittedly, it's the big final showdown that's usually the one people want to see, but I couldn't help but go for something a little less obvious.

Doomsday is on the verge of making the leap to the big screen in next year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In the movie, their version will confront the seeds of what is to become a film universe Justice League. Since people often forget the Justice League had a noteworthy role in the original introduction of Doomsday -- this seemed like a natural place to start Doomsday rolling!

I have to admit, it took all of ten years to get here because it's a bit of a double-edged sword. The very thing that makes the character notable is also the thing that makes him somewhat uninteresting. The headline is ultimately what's most important: The Death of Superman. By introducing a never before seen brute to fit the task, DC Comics created a character who seemed utterly perfunctory.

In 1992, the stunt was unique enough to receive global press. On the one hand, it seemed inconceivable that there wouldn't be any more Superman comics published by DC. On the other hand; the explosion of the Image style, X-Men, and other flavours of the fast moving early nineties had unflinchingly challenged Superman's playground relevance. In an era of sound and fury signifying flashy change, DC had promised a death. Barry Allen was still dead. Superman's movie cred was in the toilet. Believing them was a strong option.

The Death of Superman is still one of the highest selling comics of all time. It opened the Pandora's box of public execution, and "dramatic change" as sales pitch on a scale unlike any other.

Supes didn't stay dead for long. A few years later, newspapers were covering another stunt -- Superman goes electric. With that, the box arguably slammed shut. Nobody believed Electric Superman would last. If DC weren't going to kill their mascot off, they sure as heck weren't going to keep something that stupid going for long. They'd managed to snap Batman's back and turn Green Lantern into one of their biggest villains along the way, but it all started to seem as pointless and desperate as it was. Readers got wise. Sales plunged.

Attitudes toward crossover events of the nineties seem to have changed over the course of the last ten years. There's always been an audience, but when "big two" comics doubled down into the 2000s on more sophisticated storytelling and characterization, the sins of the chromium age were ready to be cast out.

The aggressive rejection of crossovers and stunts threw the dead super-baby out with the bath water. It hadn't all been bad! By the middle of the decade, an inevitable rethink was coming. Green Lantern: Rebirth paved the way by undoing the one nineties stunt that stuck - Hal Jordan as super-villain. The 20th anniversary of Crisis on Infinite Earths kicked the 'event' doors wide open soon after with Infinite Crisis. 2009's Blackest Night and Final Crisis escalated line-wide events almost as far as they could go. In 2011, they finally killed the DC Universe. Doomsday returned in varied forms. The early nineties struck back with a vengeance.

Given the perfunctory nature of the original Doomsday, it's easy to see why the idea would be repurposed. In his acclaimed All-Star Superman, concept wizard Grant Morrison transcribed the language of Doomsday as supreme threat into a more insidious, soul destroying genetic weapon. In isolation, it was an exciting, thoughtful way of repurposing the power of an attack through the lens of wacky, Silver Age pop and modern man's fear of the Superman. If it didn't invent the concept of a genetic Doomsday, it certainly popularized and validated it with a finesse lacking in subsequent versions. Just another wacky transformation for Jimmy Olsen. Another sci-fi contingency weapon run amok.

If trailers and scuttlebutt are to be believed, the movie Doomsday will use a similar premise to adapt the corpse of Man of Steel villain: General Zod. If it can be done to Zod, it can probably be done to fellow Kryptonian Superman. This has been the case in New 52 comics, where Doomsday became a Jekyll & Hyde proposition - a virus infecting Superman's genes. A validation of the resentment toward the ultimate superhero. The hero as monster. An on-going assassination of character. The death of the myth, if not the Superman.

I never really viewed The Death of Superman with quite the disdain of my peers, but I can understand the pessimism. I certainly had my share of doubts as it was all unfolding, and I came to view characters like Doomsday as avatars for shallow, if forgivable times. I avoided a lot of the worst of the 90s with budget conscious reading, and in that respect, I always felt I was ahead of the curve. Now that stunts like The Death of Superman seem to inform so much of the modern approach to DC comics and movies, I'm starting to wonder if it was the intolerant naysayers who really saw the writing on the wall.

The legacy of the story has become undeniable as the reading of sales statistics seems to overwhelm long term thinking, and the strengthening of home brands. The short dollar is king. Invest in reader anxiety. Hollywood high rolling on a monthly schedule.

I'm pleased to have finally opened the book on this landmark, much requested story! I'm sure we'll explore more facets of its unique importance sometime in the future. In the mean time, I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Thanks for joining me for a big month of anniversary superhero smackdown! If you'd like to see more in 2016, be sure to leave a comment and keep diving into the infinite archives!

Winner: Doomsday