BRONZE TIGER versus BATMAN

The Vengeance Vow! (DC)
Where: Detective Comics #485 When: September 1979 Why: Denny O'Neil How: Don Newton & Dan Adkins

The Story So Far...
The path of The League of Assassins has drawn Batman to the circus for a night of murder!

Under the big top the Dark Knight joins owner Kathy Kane for a battle with League thugs, but the main attraction is still yet to come!

For unknown reasons the former Batwoman has been targeted and The League has sent one of their deadliest assassins to complete the mission! Brainwashed into following their every order: The Bronze Tiger intends to see that The Batman doesn't get in the way of seizing their prey!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Bronze Tiger 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Draw 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Batman 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Batman 29 (Metahuman)

For a long time we've talked about Bronze Tiger and his famous victory over Batman. It was once one of the character's greatest claims to fame -- instantly affording him credibility as one of the DCU's best hand-to-hand combatants.

In context it was a source of great shame for Benjamin Turner: a skilled martial artist whose fighting prowess was twisted to serve The League of Assassins.

Penance for his actions whilst brainwashed led Bronze Tiger to join the Suicide Squad. His knowledge of nerve holds employed to control the Enchantress during the first mission when she threatened to go rogue in Legends #3.

So skilled is Bronze Tiger that he was even able to hold his own against the super-powered Stalnoivolk just by using speed and technique. He memorably teamed with Vixen to take the Russian down. Of course, no clash better represents his fighting spirit and skill than his first battle with rival Ravan in Suicide Squad #2.

Batman is broadly presumed to be one of DC's standard-bearers for high-level martial arts. He isn't the best practitioner, but he is one of them. Despite this fact -- or perhaps because of it -- most of the challengers we've observed have been super-human mountains to climb, rather than hand-to-hand equals.

Bronze Tiger's Suicide Squad teammate, Rick Flag, is a soldier trained in unarmed combat techniques, but found himself inevitably outmatched whilst brawling with Batman in Suicide Squad #10. Marvel's resident super-soldier Captain America fared a little better until fate upended him in Marvel versus DC #3.

Bane holds one of the most famous victories over The Dark Knight, but despite his fighting prowess, the back-breaking win in Batman #497 relied on performance-enhancing drugs and pre-emptively exhausting Batman, rather than skill.

Batman is a stalwart of the top of the Comic Book Fight Club rankings, but the only way we can really find out whose martial arts is supreme is to take a look!

The Tape: Batman Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...

A warm reunion between old acquaintances is cut short when The Bronze Tiger steps into the big top of Kathy Kane's circus!

Flanked by knife-wielding assassins: Bronze Tiger announces himself and the trio's intention to take the woman.

Batman stands defiant. Bronze Tiger will have to get past the Dark Knight if he wants to claim Kathy Kane. A challenge he's all too happy to take.

In the blink of a tiger's eye the cat-masked fighter moves at Batman with lightning speed and precision!

He feints a punch at Batman's head, but finds The Dark Knight's reflexes just as fast as his own! Batman blocks the blow with an instinctive sweep of his forearm and elbow. A strong defense -- but not enough against a master martial artist!

Bronze Tiger responds to the block in an instant, whirling his body to bury a stiff straight kick deep into Batman's gut!

The devastating blow forces even the steely composure of Batman to break. He has no choice but to sink to his knees as oxygen leaves him and his vision begins to blur. His mind a thumping drum as he fights to maintain consciousness.

Before the darkness overwhelms him he is witness to the glint of a knife as it darts upward and suddenly down. Kathy Kane's cry is the last thing he hears, distant as he slips into unconsciousness.

When he recovers mere minutes later a trail of bloodstained sand leads him to a grim discovery: Kathy Kane has been murdered! Dead, still clutching the costume she once wore as Batwoman. Another soul lost at the circus.

The Hammer...

As fights go it was awfully brief. It hardly seems fair! A split-second decision costs Batman victory and Kathy Kane her life. Such is the grim reality that life should be so fragile. A single lapse is all it takes to end a very precious thing indeed.

Bronze Tiger secured his victory with the abrupt execution of only two definitive offensive strikes: a punch and a kick.

This isn't the main event of Detective Comics #485. More of a primer for their inevitable rematch come issue's end. Yet in some ways its the encounter that feels most applicable to later claims to fame. A necessary piece of a larger puzzle.

It may feel short of a legendary comic book showdown, but the brief exchange has all the technical hallmarks of an adrenalizing prize fight finish.

Occurring within the confines of a single page: this skirmish is a study in martial arts precision. A simulation of the real-time combination of chess-like tactics and physical intuition that resides deep within the best of modern mixed martial arts.

Batman shows strength and skill in blocking Bronze Tiger's aggressive opening strike. The sweeping elbow shows instinct and training. He's ill prepared for the follow-up, but I'd be reluctant to characterize that as a lack of foresight.

Bronze Tiger allows the sweeping block to deflect his fist and continues through the punching arc, turning the momentum of the twist into a penetrating sideways thrust kick. The shift from right hand to left foot happens in less than a second, requiring only a 180 degree pivot. Batman is good, but Bronze Tiger is better!

By 1979 the world had already loved and lost Bruce Lee. The phenomenon of his movies in the United States, particularly the Warner Brothers co-production, Enter the Dragon, had directly inspired a wave of martial arts enthusiasm, and comic book creations like Shang-Chi, Richard Dragon, and Bronze Tiger himself.

"Sensei" Richard Hill is credited for providing martial arts advice to this story. It would be a few years before Batman would become the infallible fighting machine of modern interpretation, but the seeds of Frank Miller's Dark Knight can be seen forming under Denny O'Neil's attention to researched combat, and gritty detail.

Of course, artists Don Newton & Dan Adkins were charged with putting the action onto the page, and they do a good job communicating the kinetic information so it's clear to understand, and reasonably pleasing to look at.

You may have noticed I've scanned and included panels from the 1991 Tales of The Demon trade reprint, where Adrienne Roy's colours, if unaltered, really pop against the thick black inks of the era. I particularly enjoy the oranges used for Bronze Tiger, and although I prefer a black Bat, the blue works nicely, as well.

At some point we will reconvene to take a closer look at the Batman/Bronze Tiger rematch. I'd also like to revisit the preceding battle with Kathy Kane, which would be her last. The erstwhile red & yellow Batwoman isn't a character I have a great deal of affection for, but her ignoble end warrants another look.

This entry is inspired by the release of the animated DC feature Batman: Soul of the Dragon -- a seventies-infused kung fu thriller that unites a young Batman with DC's martial arts icons. If you enjoy the basic premise, I strongly recommend the "Return of the Fearsome Fangs" episode of Batman: Brave and the Bold.

If you'd like to see today's featured fight in its full context - you're in luck! The collected Batman: Tales of The Demon received a new printing in 2020! Shop with the Amazon link provided and you'll not only get a good read delivered to your door -- you'll also help the site at no extra cost!

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Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured over 650 battles and is counting down to ranking our 1000th character! You can check out some of the ranked fighters in the 2020 Rankings Recap, or just revisit the Top 20 Fights of 2020 and Featured Fight Recap. Or explore the Secret Archive for a complete index of every featured fight organized by publisher, series, and issue number!

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Winner: Bronze Tiger
#41 (+15) Bronze Tiger
#1 (--) Batman
#941 (new) Kathy Kane

BRONZE TIGER & VIXEN versus STALNOIVOLK

The Phoenix Gambit: Part Four Black Queen's Mate (DC)
Where: Suicide Squad #43 When: July 1990 Why: John Ostrander & Kim Yale How: Geof Isherwood

The Story So Far...
The Suicide Squad have been dissolved, and Amanda Waller imprisoned, but political unrest in the Eastern European nation of Vlatava has forced the powers that be to reactivate their expendable black-ops force!

Now operating as a fully autonomous outfit under Waller's command; a team, partially reassembled by The Batman, infiltrates Vlatava under the guise of going freelance to a global market!

Russian General Kaligari agrees to hire Waller under strict conditions, working to expedite hardline aggressions against the deranged Count Vertigo, and his Vlatavian resistance. In truth, the Squad work against the Russians, aiming to bring in one of their toughest agents -- the man wanted in connection to an assassination in Gotham City: Ivan Illyich Gort - Stalnoivolk!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Stalnoivolk 5 (Super-Human)
Intelligence: Bronze Tiger 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Vixen 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Stalnoivolk 6 (Generator)
Agility: Vixen 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting: Bronze Tiger 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Stalnoivolk 25 (Champion)

It's a classic case of speed and skill against brute strength! The martial arts mastery of Bronze Tiger is unleashed by Amanda Waller with a mission to prove that even an invulnerable man can succumb to the right technique!

Bronze Tiger's target is a Secret Wars on Infinite Earths newcomer: Ivan Illyich Gort, aka; Stalnoivolk - translated as "Steel Wolf"!

Gort is the product of Soviet experimentation during the Second World War. He was born in the early 1900s, but his aging was drastically retarded by the process that also granted him phenomenal super-human strength, endurance, and stamina.

He could have been the first of many, but Stalin ensured his Steel Wolf would hunt alone. The fiercely loyal Soviet super-soldier participated in hostilities in Ukraine, only to be exiled to Siberia after the war. He was eventually recalled to action by the cold and calculating Major Zastrow, to participate in his covert super-human group Red Shadows.

Today we find Stalnoivolk operating under Zastrow to suppress rebels in Count Vertigo's homeland of Vlatava. He's best known for confronting the suspected nuclear threat of Firestorm, and covert operations of the Suicide Squad. As it so happens -- today: he is the Suicide Squad's covert operation!

Bronze Tiger is fighting master enough to challenge most strong-man types, but it's fair to say there's an air of mismatch when he goes up against Stalnoivolk.

It also doesn't help that Ben Turner isn't in the best of mental states, having been severely rattled under interrogation from Sargent Steel, before the Suicide Squad were officially disbanded as a government operation. The cold control he exhibited fighting Ravan in Suicide Squad #2, or taking care of Enchantress in Legends #3, is replaced with a recklessness that could prove dangerous.

His former lover Mari McCabe, aka; Vixen, secretly has his back, but in his current state The Tiger has no desire to call upon her assistance. She isn't exactly thrilled with the idea of offering it, either. The Ben Turner she once loved is a memory replaced by a man haunted by past misdeeds.

Which is a shame, because Vixen is arguably the better match-up for Stalnoivolk. Her ability to channel the morphogenetic field through her tantu totem means she can emulate characteristics of the strongest animals. That allowed her to go it alone against Professor Ivo and his androids in her own moment of darkness [Justice League of America #261]. She's also gone toe-to-toe with Wonder Woman in JLA: Classified #3, and Volcano Man during Justice League of America (Vol. 2) #15!

If Bronze Tiger and Vixen can get on the same page, they should be able to match the brute force of Stalnoivolk. If they don't, there's a real danger they'll just get in each other's way! The combined stats favour the Suicide Squad duo, but do not count out the simplicity of Stalnoivolk's power!

The Tape: Bronze Tiger & Vixen Ranking: Bronze Tiger (#79)

What Went Down...

Walking the streets of Vlatava; Stalnoivolk receives a call summoning him back to Red Shadow headquarters. It sufficiently distracts him from the figure leaving the shadows behind him. The mystery man strikes with deadly precision!

The blow to the base of the skull manages to send Stalnoivolk to his knees! The attacker is Bronze Tiger -- and he doesn't believe in true invulnerability!

Stalnoivolk defiantly digs his fingers into the concrete sidewalk beneath him and hurls the rubble at his looming attacker! He manages to catch Bronze Tiger by surprise -- momentarily blinding the martial arts assassin!

The Russian powerhouse rushes to capitalize on his gambit, but the Tiger can sense his movements. He vaults over the hulking super-soldier, buying enough time to regain his vision!

With clear sight on his target - Bronze Tiger responds with a furious flurry of targeted strikes! He hits a knee, the jaw, the back of the skull -- all in an effort to bring the "steel wolf" down!

The Tiger finishes his combo by thrusting both feet at Stalnoivolk's face -- but the Russian super-soldier catches him by the ankles! He's getting annoyed!

Luckily for Bronze Tiger, his Suicide Squad teammate and ex-lover Vixen has been following him. She leaps from the rooftops above and summons the charging power of a wild rhinoceros - targeting Stalnoivolk's steel back!

The super-human sneak attack involuntarily arches Stalnoivolk's back, releasing his grip on Bronze Tiger! The martial artist spills to his back, but wastes no time reorienting to capitalize on the unexpected assist!

Vixen channels a stampeding elephant into her punch as she strikes the wolf of steel's skull for the umpteenth time! At that same moment: Bronze Tiger thrusts his heel into Stalnoivolk's chest at full force!

The Russian finally falls! Invulnerable, but not undefeatable!

The Hammer...
At last we can answer the riddle: How do you defeat an invulnerable Steel Wolf? With the pure power of a stampeding elephant, and the striking ferocity of a tiger, of course!

After deep diving into Black Panther's origins last month; it might seem as if we're keeping up a theme of featured feline fighters. It's mostly a coincidence of what I've been reading lately, and maybe a little bit of influence from the recent Winter Olympic Games. I saw a whole lot of foulplay from Russians during the games. What's with that, any way?

The thought occurs that Bronze Tiger would be a very interesting opponent for Black Panther, should we ever get another round of DC versus Marvel fantasy fights! He's kind of a fusion of the physical discipline and mastery of Bronze Tiger, and the animalistic spirituality of Vixen!

Fans have often posited Black Panther works well as a counterpart for Batman, but there's no shortage of those. Who could resist a "cat fight" between two hand-to-hand masters of Black and Bronze?... Speaking of which: we really will have to get to Bronze Tiger's famous fight with Batman sometime soon!

As noted: I've been busied with the pages of Suicide Squad of late, reliving some of their classic conflicts from the back-half of the memorable run.

The Cold War was basically deemed done & dusted by this time in the series, but with a character as fun as Stalnoivolk, who wouldn't want to go back for another round of Soviet espionage and hostility? Facebook trolls and nudging speed skaters pale in comparison to the man dubbed Steel Wolf!

Regular readers know I love a good, simple second tier villain, and the bushy moustached Stalinist fits the bill perfectly! He's a great no frills kinda bad guy! A WWII relic who almost serves as a Russian counterpart to a 1940s Superman.

Stalnoivolk is a "man of steel" from behind the iron curtain - just as capable of leaping tall buildings, or out-pounding the powerful surf, as early era Supes! Like classic era Superman, he also doesn't do much more than take a good punch - or deliver one! The presentation is more austere, but that's both part of its charm, and the effectiveness of the character as a threat of will.

John Ostrander apparently created Stalnoivolk as a Firestorm villain, but he's arguably at his best as a threatening presence stalking the periphery throughout his Suicide Squad run. The Russian shows up pretty early as a continuation of threads from the first year's mission to Moscow [which went poorly]. 1990's "Phoenix Gambit" may come at a time when Cold War tension was losing topical relevance -- but it was the showdown readers had to have been waiting for!

The fight described is an action-packed moment of triumph for two of The Squad's best heroic characters, but it also shows the breakdown of their one-time romantic relationship.

The modern Bronze Tiger is fairly inseparable from Suicide Squad, but their mutually shared arc also did a lot to move Vixen forward after the final days of the Detroit era Justice League [see; Vixen versus Professor Ivo]. She goes into the Suicide Squad an emotionally broken hero, and comes out of it stronger. An inverse to the Bronze Tiger story, which finds him broken by Sarge Steel's grilling amid the governmental dissolving of the Squad in the previous story arc. It also plays to his earlier days brainwashed by the League of Assassins.

Ostrander [and Yale]'s Suicide Squad is a great time just about anywhere you might drop-in, but as I'm finding out while I fill in gaps, it's much more satisfying read in its entirety!

The accumulation of character development, sub-plots, and high concepts is really fantastic. In many ways, the content feels very relevant to our present world. Yet I'm not entirely sure if the long form spread would lend itself to the more timid aspects of our present pop culture.

If you've enjoyed dipping a toe into Suicide Squad with today's featured fight, you can currently seek out trade paperback collections for most of the original run. Using the link provided [right] will even help support the site at no extra charge to you!

As always, you can find plenty more action by following your curiosity to links littered throughout this post, tags down the bottom, or by plunging into the Secret Archive for an index of every fight organized by publisher, series, and issue number!

You can also subscribe to Secret Wars on Infinite Earths via Twitter and Facebook to get daily links to fights inspired by the topics of the day! A like and a share is a great way to spread the word and support the site!

Winners: Vixen & Bronze Tiger
#48 (+31) Bronze Tiger
#69 (+49) Vixen
#845 (new) Stalnoivolk

BRONZE TIGER versus RAVAN

Trial By Fire (DC)
Where: Suicide Squad #2 When: June 1987
Why: John Ostrander How: Luke McDonnell

The Story So Far...
To the outside world: Belle Reve Federal Prison is just a hive for holding incarcerated scum and villainy. Within those walls reigns Task Force X Agent: Amanda Waller - taking her pick of the litter for an expendable covert ops group codenamed The Suicide Squad!

In their second field mission The Squad are headed to Northern Qurac. Their target: Jotunheim -- the cliff-side stronghold of an emerging terrorist organization known simply as The Jihad.

Task Force X has inside intel on the super-human terrorist group, who've been hired to commit an attack on the United States within the week. That means the know exactly who they're up against, and how to take them down! Now it's just a matter of wrangling their reluctant forces long enough to take them down!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Draw 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Bronze Tiger 25 (Champion)

The Suicide Squad are headed to Northern Qurac for their second field mission against a terrorist organization known simply as The Jihad (later Onslaught). We've already seen Deadshot take on Manticore. Now Bronze Tiger has drawn a perfectly matched opponent as skilled in the deadly arts as he is!

Tiger was along for the Squad's first mission against Brimstone in Legends #3, but as we ultimately saw, his deadly hands were mainly present to keep Enchantress in check [also in Legends #3]. He was out of his league against a giant beast of Apokolips, but this time Benjamin Turner is in his element!

In his youth, Turner left the crime-ridden streets of Central City to seek the path of a master martial artist. In Japan, he studied under O-Sensei alongside fellow student Richard Dragon. They fought side-by-side as agents of GOOD and the CBI, until Turner was captured and brainwashed by The League of Assassins!

For a time Bronze Tiger became one of the world's most notorious assassins, famous for besting Batman! A rescue mission led by Rick Flag eventually brought him back to the side of angels. He volunteered for the Suicide Squad as penance, never certain that the programming he received is totally gone.

Ravan's path to murder was decidedly more willing. He's one of the last of the Thuggee: a real-life cult of Indian thieves and murderers known to insinuate themselves into the lives of travelers, gaining their trust in order to kill them. Experts on the subject estimate the sect to be responsible for somewhere between fifty thousand, to two million deaths over a span of 150 years.

With every murder, Ravan believes he delays the coming of the Kali Yuga for a thousand years -- an age of chaos wrought by the demon Kali. He applies his religion to a modern context, making assassination his trade. He's a highly skilled hand-to-hand martial artist, with a particular penchant for the garrote. A charming playboy who delights at the contest of a worthy opponent -- and boy has he found one!

The Tape rates our two fighters statistically evenly matched -- but I give the overall advantage to Bronze Tiger. His training seems to be a bit more diverse, more expert, and his reputation far exceeds that of Ravan. I'm also tipping my hand a little with knowledge of their subsequent encounters. What happened the first time Bronze Tiger fought Ravan? Let's find out!

The Tape: Draw Ranking: Bronze Tiger (#135)

What Went Down...
His fourth tier quarters are described as "part shrine to Kali, part playboy mansion." There, Ravan rests -- until his peace is interrupted by the sound of exterior gunfire against the facility. Jotunheim is under attack, but as the skilled Thuggee martial artist quickly realizes -- so is he!

The master combatants share honorable introductions as they square off, each admiring the obvious skill of the other. It isn't often either man meets an opponent they can consider a worthy challenge.

is it Bronze Tiger's shoulder or fist that collides with Ravan's jaw as the fight gets under way? It's hard to say. The two fighter's legs tangle. The second blow is decisive: Bronze Tiger's right arm raining down with a tomahawk-like chop!

Ravan throws his arm up - staggering the Bronze Tiger enough to cost him a vertical base! The Thuggee fighter swings his right leg, but Bronze Tiger leans down and blocks the head-high kick!

Their masterful moves have been a successive flow of strike and counter-strike. Devastating in their precision, and chess-like in the consequence of their commitment to the most efficient response. The conclusion is an inevitability already decided several moves in advance.

The blocked kick forces Ravan into a vulnerable open stance. Bronze Tiger wastes no opportunity capitalizing -- thrusting a kick into his opponent's spine!

Ravan drops to the floor. He knows in an instant that he's defeated. His back is broken. He cannot defend himself. With resignation, he accepts his fate: "Kill me". Bronze Tiger turns his back. Ravan will not die this day.

The man once programmed to kill by The League of Assassins should have no trouble executing his opponent, but to what end? He was ordered to neutralize Ravan. In this, he has succeeded. He has no memory of his past life as a killer, and sees no reason to incite it. To Ravan's fury - he leaves with his victory.

The Hammer...
A broken back is a pretty definitive way to defeat your opponent! Bronze Tiger is undeniable winner.

Ravan lives to fight another day, and indeed, vows to find the means to take his revenge. He swears so on Kali - so you know he means business! Comics being what they are, you can probably guess he'll eventually return. The rematch - to be visited at some stage in The Comic Book Fight Club's future!

For now, we dwell on the past. Not for any negative contrast, but to reassess the fine works of John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell.

I haven't always appreciated them the way I should, but I've found my fandom along the way.

We were a little scattershot when Secret Wars on Infinite Earths featured the Suicide Squad last August. That meant short shrift on the series itself, and to Bronze Tiger, in particular. Nice to be back to pick up the tab!

If I remember correctly, Suicide Squad #2 fell into my lap some time around 1989 or '90. I was young. Very young. Too young to be responsibly handed a comic book about international terrorism, and/or military suicide missions.

It came in a show bag with an issue of MAD Magazine and a novelty whoopee cushion. A mothers group's nightmare, I imagine, but such were the times. It hardly mattered. Celebrity caricatures and faux-flatulence were good for a few laughs, but the Suicide Squad was a tough sell to a young reader. If a parent had been aware enough to be concerned about the impact of the subject matter, they would've been relieved to know it was largely lost on a small child. There was plenty going on in the issue, but there were too many generic folk without exciting costumes. No competition for the four-colour laugh riot of the then contemporary Justice League, or so I thought at the time.

For the most part, super-powers always made side arms seem pretty lame to this young reader. Punisher and Nick Fury lacked the charm of their pulp era forebears, and guys like Rick Flag and Nemesis didn't even have the decency to wear a fancy bodysuit! Blokes in t-shirts and slacks weren't exactly cutting it in a world dominated by Spider-man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the like.

I don't mind saying that the reader was definitely the problem.

With wiser eyes, I've found the joy in Suicide Squad, and even the members of The Jihad that once seemed so plain. You'll note that the super-villain group was redubbed "The Onslaught" a decade or two later, when the meaning of their name became a more sensitive subject in The West.

As it turns out, Suicide Squad was the kind of comics I actually loved all along. If I'd only investigated beyond an initial childhood bias, I would've seen it was far more than a mere modern take on war and spy comics.

The series is and was a joyous melting pot of disparate concepts sourced from old comics, new comics, forgotten comics, and the real world of global culture, politics, and events. Heck. With more reading and awareness of the world, it turned out the war stories were pretty good, too! It's just nice that it has a kick of kung-fu heroes, Kirby Fourth World, and other super-hero mythology, too.
Most major characters weaved into the tapestry of Suicide Squad offer a thread of tangents explored over the course of the series. They provide a bank of natural stories that flow effortlessly around the missions, and DC crossover events that occur throughout. At times it seems as if Ostrander has more ideas than he can possibly find time for! Their simmering builds a lot of effective tension in the series, and makes every new story a well earned change of pace.

Bronze Tiger is a unique thread to the kung-fu comics of the '70s, and The League of Assassins, who are famous by association with Batman. Some time we'll take a closer look at Bronze Tiger's fight with Batman, which is frequently referenced in Suicide Squad to establish his credibility as a combatant.

Tiger's history isn't focused upon until much later in the run, but he adds a lot of spice to the mix as one of the team's few heroic figures.

Benjamin Turner is a man with conviction putting his troubled past behind him. A contrast to Rick Flag, who spends the early part of the series putting his troubled past in front of him. Their connection through backstory makes the Suicide Squad stronger.

Flag was the man who pulled Bronze Tiger out of The League of Assassins, and helped deprogram him with Amanda Waller. The retrieval mission was initiated because of Bronze Tiger's history with the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI), and King Faraday. A rich tapestry of DC references that lend a strong sense of verisimilitude to the world of the Squad, and surrounding intelligence agencies.

It was fascinating to learn that Ravan is a character who appropriates a real life criminal concept. The Thuggee (said tug-gee) were apparently a genuine cult of bandits and murderers found in India. As noted in The Tale of The Tape [above], they're attributed by scholars with responsibility for somewhere between 50,000 and 2 million murders. A clan whose primary intent was to kill without remorse. A scary concept. Very effective in its context of comics!

Ravan eventually becomes a member of the Suicide Squad himself. I'm looking forward to examining more of those stories. His relationship with Bronze Tiger will remain antagonistic, but they establish a curious rapport around mutual respect. I mightn't have appreciated Ravan as a youngster, but his unique brand of suave assassin is a lot of fun as it develops!

For now, we update the rankings and press on! March is a month of martial arts mayhem inspired by the Netflix release of Iron Fist! The Marvel heroes have been taking over The Comic Book Fight Club, so I thought I'd take this last opportunity to show some DC love. We've got one more martial arts showdown to go, but as you'll soon see -- it comes from neither of the "Big Two".

Can't get enough Suicide Squad or Bronze Tiger? Ready to read the series for yourself? Use the Amazon purchase link provided [right] to get this battle and more in collected edition! Doing so helps support the site at no extra cost to you!

Use links littered throughout this entry to discover more exciting corners of the comic book universes! You can also dive into the Secret Archive Index to check out every previous feature fight referenced by publisher, series and issue! Or follow on Facebook and Twitter to get daily fight links inspired by current topics! A like and share make all the difference!

Winner: Bronze Tiger
#77 (+58) Bronze Tiger
#826 (new) Ravan

BRONZE TIGER versus ENCHANTRESS

Send For... The Suicide Squad! (DC)
Where: Legends #3 When: January 1987
Why: John Ostrander & Len Wein How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
The New God of evil Darkseid has wicked plans for the heroes of the mortal planet of Earth! For their role in thwarting his plans time and again, he strikes with new weapons -- including a techno-seed that gives birth to the deluded giant known as Brimstone!

This self-proclaimed fallen angel marches to the false gospel of Darkseid. Bathed in a sentient flame that is his infernal body, Brimstone begins his cleansing of false gods with the shocking defeat of the Justice League of America! This prompts government agent Amanda Waller to initiate a dangerous new plan under Task Force X!

Utilizing convicted super-villains and volunteer agents to run secretive covert-ops, Waller launches the Suicide Squad! With the heroes out of action, the bad guys save the day, but the dark side of one of the team has bubbled to the surface. Now the apparent saviours unleash a deadly new threat upon an unsuspecting world - the dark sorcery of Enchantress!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Bronze Tiger 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Enchantress 5 (Professor)
Speed: Bronze Tiger 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Bronze Tiger 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Bronze Tiger 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Bronze Tiger 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Enchantress 6 (Mass Destruction)


Bronze Tiger is Benjamin Turner: Master of the martial arts and charter member of the Suicide Squad! He served notably as one of the team's few non-criminal members - the first recruit chosen by Amanda Waller and Rick Flag!

Flag had led a mission to rescue Turner from The League of Assassins some time prior to reforming Task Force X. As Bronze Tiger, Turner was brainwashed into becoming one of The League's deadliest global assassins. He even turned on his friend Richard Dragon before being deprogrammed by Waller.

Bronze Tiger's renown as one of the world's greatest martial artists belies humble beginnings on the streets of Central City. Urban crime confronted young Ben Turner with a natural acumen for combat. Searching for a better path for himself, he travelled the world, eventually finding the teachings of the legendary O-Sensei, in Japan. It was there he studied alongside Richard Dragon before both returned to the United States, briefly opening a school of their own.

Enchantress is June Moone: Granted magical powers by a mysterious entity known as Dzamor, Moone becomes the host of a powerful mystic alter-ego. In her early adventures she wielded this magic persona for good, but as the years wear on, calling upon the Enchantress sways her intent to the side of evil.

Her powers of sorcery are difficult to define by conventional means. Her abilities range from standard energy projections and transmutation, to demonstrations of: levitation, teleportation, healing, mystic sensitivity, and magic leeching!

When she was approached to join the Suicide Squad by Amanda Waller, Moone opted to volunteer her services. She subsequently joined the team on their very first mission: to neutralize the Apokolips giant Brimstone [Legends #3].

As we saw, Bronze Tiger was paired with Enchantress as a teammate during the first mission. He would later coach her in the martial arts. They should be working together, but as we're about to learn, the price of Enchantress' incredible power is the constant threat of her other evil persona!

Can mortal martial arts stand against the unbridled might of a sorceress?

Enchantress' powers protected the team from the fallout of Brimstone's lethal flames, but could only do so once they were no longer sentient. That bodes well for the ever-sentient Bronze Tiger! Will it be advantage enough to take her down when things go bad? Let's find out...

The Math: Bronze Tiger Ranking: Bronze Tiger (#405)

What Went Down...
Deadshot finds his target: firing an experimental laser directly into the nexus of Brimstone's core! The magnetic fields that maintain his integrity begin to fail, prompting Brimstone's plasma body to literally tear itself apart!

The giant monster becomes a towering inferno and in doing so - sends an explosive fireball in the direction of the triumphant Suicide Squad!

With a wave of her hands, Enchantress effortlessly comes to the defense of the team. The once sentient fire now dead and susceptible to her sorcery - reduced to a harmless snowstorm before it blankets the team!

The Squad's first mission seems to end in victory, but in unleashing her magicks -- the darkness in Enchantress' heart is brought forth! She turns on the team!

As snow flakes fall gently over Enchantress, mystic energy continues to blaze around her hands. Grinning gleefully, she twists to deal with her teammates -- unaware of their preparations to deal with her!

The martial artist Bronze Tiger leaps into action -- revealing his true purpose amongst the team! He may have been outmatched by the brute power of Brimstone, but by staying close to Enchantress, he's perfectly positioned to strike with an expertly delivered nerve-pinch!

Enchantress collapses unconscious into Bronze Tiger's waiting arms. The threat is over! Averted thanks to the foresight of Colonel Rick Flag.

The Hammer...
Well, that was fairly painless! With a single strike: Bronze Tiger wins!

Imagine how much easier life would've been if the Suicide Squad in theatres only remembered to bring Bronze Tiger to their fight! Win some, lose some, eh?

We've been looking back at the early days of The Suicide Squad throughout August, and plodding our way through the Legends mini-series, in the process. Just six issues long, it's a post-Crisis landmark that works to establish the new Justice League, the modern Suicide Squad, and a nice plot involving the manipulations of the masses through media by Darkseid and his minions, too.

It's understandable that the series didn't really have the time to dwell on every facet of the Suicide Squad, but I like that the broad beats are all essentially laid out. The moral frailty in a team of coerced super-villains is one the inherent joys of the concept. Enchantress establishes the looming sense of internal threat, even if it's pushed aside quickly. Captain Boomerang further drives home the potential for the team to unravel, quitting the group shortly after. With any luck, we'll get a chance to explore that tangent in a future fight.

Today we're focusing on other curios, such as Enchantress, who was a character I don't think I'd ever even heard of before reading her adventures with the Suicide Squad!

It's just another of the joys of the Suicide Squad series and the attitude that created it. By churning the vast soil of the DC Universe, they unearthed seeds that gave the post-Crisis DCU a crop of unexpected icons! They were disparate elements elevated by being brought together to make a glorious new whole! Still steeped in histories that were probably completely unknown or forgotten to young readers like myself! Middling properties ready to be embellished!

Enchantress originally came from mid-sixties mysticism in Strange Adventures #187 (April 1966), twisting into a villainess of the early eighties, before settling as the conflicted sorceress of the Squad. A revelatory reconciliation of her different roles, wrapped in a deliciously eighties design (as drawn by Byrne and McDonnell) that I simply love. Faux-80s faux-nostalgia has a way of grinding on me, but if I could choose any comics character to rock that look, it'd be her!

Bronze Tiger's history came from the kung-fu boom of the seventies grindhouse cinema. DC Comics got into the act with Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter #1 (May 1975) - a series that introduced two American "kung-fu fighters" who studied in Japan. Their battles with The League of Assassins provided nice hooks to tie a lot of disparate elements of the DCU together over the following years and decades. A nice hallmark of Dennis O'Neil! You probably know them best for Ra's al Ghul and Batman's struggles. They played a role in Bronze Tiger's Suicide Squad backstory as a brainwashed assassin.

Admittedly, I always viewed Dragon as the poor man's Iron Fist: Marvel's much cooler martial arts hero, with a much cooler African-American best friend in Power Man. Suicide Squad certainly elevated Bronze Tiger in my eyes, though.

Similarly unrelated histories underscore the rest of The Squad! Deadshot: A one-hit wonder of 1950 Batman, dusted off in '77 and given new life in the Squad. Rick Flag: A tie to the war comics origins of the Suicide Squad of Brave and the Bold #25 (1959). Captain Boomerang: 1960 bad guy, destined to be a recurring menace of The Flash's Rogues! Blockbuster: 1965 man-monster who played the part of a poor man's Hulk, and the seminal mission's "suicide". Amanda Waller: The new glue that binds it all together as something fresh for the times.

I love it when superhero comics make their bizarre and wonderful universes work for them! This is such a great example of what can be achieved by uniting elements with a single great, intuitive idea! It highlights the strength of having a back catalogue and the value of creating "new reader friendly" comics through a continuum of exciting new stories, rather than do-overs and regressions.

With any luck, we'll get a chance to follow the chains of history back to see more of these characters. I'm sure we'll be going forward as well.

You can master this fluid reality of time in any year you might be reading by diving into the Issue Index Archive! That's the nexus of realities where you can jump to all the previous feature fights. You can also find more topics of interest by utilizing links littered through all the posts on this blog!

As September dawns, we have one more special battle inspired by the ensemble cast of the Suicide Squad film - in theatres now! In the mean time, check out Hero of the Week Mondays and stay tuned for a month of action focused on a certain character mentioned somewhere in this post. Can you guess who?

Winner: Bronze Tiger
#130 (+275) Bronze Tiger
#505 (-9) Enchantress (June Moone)

TASK FORCE X versus BRIMSTONE

Send For... The Suicide Squad! (DC)
Where: Legends #3 When: January 1987
Why: John Ostrander & Len Wein How: John Byrne

The Story So Far...
From distant planet Apokolips, the New God Darkseid and his minion Desaad curse the heroes of the world known as Earth! These mighty mortals have risen to thwart their wicked plans time and time again!

Inspired only by evil intent, the New Gods devise a new plan! Operation: Humiliation -- a scheme to attack the heroes through monsters and media manipulation!

On the frontline of Darkseid's war is the firey goliath: Brimstone! A creature of sentient plasma hatched in the heart of a nuclear reactor, he believes himself to be a blazing fallen angel sent to cleanse the world of false idols.

Having come up short against titanic Brimstone, Firestorm and Cosmic Boy joined the Justice League of America in trying to stop him. All succumbed to his mighty powers. With the situation getting desperate, Task Force X spook Amanda Waller opts to initiate her plan to employ known criminals as expendable agents. Equipped with an experimental gun, Colonel Rick Flag leads the team to South Dakota on what can only be considered a suicide mission!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Brimstone 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Enchantress 5 (Professor)
Speed: Bronze Tiger 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Brimstone 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Bronze Tiger 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Bronze Tiger 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Enchantress 6 (Mass Destruction)


Task Force X are: Rick Flag, Bronze Tiger, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Blockbuster & Enchantress.

Task Force X was originally established to respond to post-war super-human threats emerging in the absence of a congressionally disbanded Justice Society of America. Among their original personnel were members of the Suicide Squad who had served during World War II, and fought on Dinosaur Island.

Decades later; Agent Amanda Waller assumes control of Task Force X, seeking to resurrect the Suicide Squad as a secret team of government sanctioned super-villains. They are an expendable black-ops force operating with complete deniability for the chance to have their criminal records expunged. The only requirements: Accept the mission, complete the mission, survive the mission.

Leading Waller's team in the field is Colonel Rick Flag, whose father was a member of the WWII Suicide Squad, and Task Force X. Flag recruited deadly deprogrammed assassin and second-in-command Bronze Tiger, along with crack shot mercenary Deadshot.

They headed an original line-up of complicit and reluctant villains:
- Mark Desmond, aka; Blockbuster: A chemist whose experiments turned him into a dim-witted powerhouse who clashed with Batman and The Outsiders.
- June Moone aka; Enchantress: A powerful mystic able to conjure constructs, magic energies, illusions, and various other magic phenomena.
- Digger Harkness, aka; Captain Boomerang: Australian boomerang expert and frequent criminal foe of The Flash!

Operating as Task Force X; the Suicide Squad would learn of their expendability through their first field mission: To destroy a giant flaming monster rampaging across the United States! The monster they're targeting: Brimstone!

We've been following Brimstone's destructive exploits a lot in the last month. He first appeared from a techno-seed planted in a nuclear reactor in Legends #1, where he soundly defeated Firestorm. He would then fend off Cosmic Boy, before defeating the entire Justice League of America in Legends #2! That's a pretty formidable record, but the Suicide Squad have something the JLA didn't!

Understanding that Brimstone is composed of 'super-heated hydrogen plasma given sentient form by complex magnetic fields', Task Force X is able to equip Deadshot with an experimental laser rifle. Capable of firing a single blast able to penetrate the nexus of Brimstone's field - it's their only chance for success!

Can he make the shot? We've seen Floyd Lawton find his target fighting Manticore [Suicide Squad #2], but it was coming up short against the new Flash that got him caught in the first place, leading to his Suicide Squad recruitment [Legends #1]. A master marksman with skinny odds and a death wish.

Everything is working against their success, but that's what the Suicide Squad is for! Will they be the first to take down Brimstone, or die trying? Let's find out...

The Math: Brimstone Ranking: Brimstone (#92)

What Went Down...
In the shadow of Mount Rushmore, The Suicide Squad march uneven ground toward their fate. Captain Boomerang asks if he can change his mind. Brimstone welcomes the sinners with expectation and an explosion! No turning back now!

While the team recovers, Colonel Flag helps Deadshot size up the target. One shot to hit a bullseye at the nexus of magnetic fields. To help make it easier, Flag deploys the super-brute Blockbuster. With "spade-like" hands he scoops up the rock beneath Brimstone's feet and lifts!

Captain Boomerang does his best to chip in, tossing a baffle-rang that swirls around the monster's head. It induces momentary disorientation, but only serves to provoke an attack!

A column of flame descends from the goliath's hand. Despite her best efforts, Enchantress discovers she's unable to transmute the sentient plasma! The heat worries Bronze Tiger, but Enchantress remains confident and cool.

Blockbuster continues his attack of Brimstone's vertical base, smashing through the rocky terrain to reduce it to treacherous rubble! This too only serves to aggravate the behemoth.

Darkseid's destroyer reaches down with a giant hand and wraps it around Blockbuster. The size were as if he were a mere insect. The intense burning heat of the plasma - enough to reduce Blockbuster to a smouldering corpse!

Captain Boomerang is horrified as the sizzling body lands before him. His sacrifice provides sufficient distraction. While it fell, Deadshot sized up Brimstone through an experimental rifle scope. Seeing an object at the heart of the creature's magnetic fields, he finds the target! Rick Flag orders him to fire!

The focused laser beam strikes at the centre of Brimstone's chest! The unfeeling creature is confronted with sensations of agony unlike anything he has known!

Brimstone cries for the dark god who forsakes him, clinging to a delusion of religion that tells him he is a fallen angel. Darkseid shows no mercy. A truly expendable agent whose usefulness is served in the defeat of the Justice League and death of one of Earth's legends: the man-brute, Blockbuster!

Coming apart at the seams, Brimstone becomes a screaming, out-of-control blaze! Even in death - he continues to threaten the lives of the Suicide Squad! A giant ball of flame hurtles toward Bronze Tiger and Enchantress!

Now that Brimstone's flame is no longer sentient -- Enchantress can end the threat with a simple enchantment that turns inferno into a harmless snowstorm!

The Hammer...
Just like that: Deadshot and The Suicide Squad save the day!

Not a bad result for their first appearance! Of course, poor Blockbuster wasn't so lucky. His rather grisly death helped drive home the name and mortal stakes of The Squad. He, the first in a list of fatalities that would plague the group!

In revisiting these early, post-Crisis comics, I'm really reminded of the livewire sense of excitement they created! As much as this was a new beginning for the DC Universe, it also clearly felt like a sharpening and refining for a lot of characters, and properties.

The Justice League got a much needed jolt in transition away from Detroit-based third stringers [Legends #2], to a constructive mix of old and new icons, some originally sourced from other publishers. An all-star assembly that could refresh classic heroes, and elevate new ones to legendary status!

The Suicide Squad played a big role in that reinvigoration and juxtaposition, too! By assembling a few issues earlier in Legends, they became of the same world, cut from the same cloth. They were destined to compliment and clash with the heroes that would leave issue six to become Justice League International. A step ahead of the global topical concerns of the JLI, more immediately rooted in the world of military black-ops, espionage, and beaurocracy.

It was fitting that the two teams would finally meet in battle in Russia. Both teams would feature in stories negotiating the friction of the tail end of Cold War hostilities between The Soviets and America. JLI may have been taking a more worldly view of super-heroes, but The League and Squad both owed their origins to the height of the Cold War in the early sixties.

The Suicide Squad was originally created at the tail end of 1959, appearing in The Brave and The Bold. They were uniform soldiers in the mould you know. A far cry from recurring super-villains like Deadshot and Captain Boomerang, but a modern legacy that continued its tradition -- rather than deleting it in reboot.

The Squad of the late eighties refreshed what was around them by building something new from old parts. Rather than partaking in hard rebooting, the meta principle became part of the core of the book. What if you could have a team with a genuine sense of mortal danger? What if the modern new DCU tried to get a little something extra out of some of its lesser characters, rather than simply writing them out, or frivolously destroying them?

In the world of the Suicide Squad, Amanda Waller is giving them a lifeline of redemption and clean slates. In the world of publication, characters like Blockbuster and Enchantress are getting second chances to mean more than they had in the past. Granted, I'm not sure the series really played out like a do-or-die scenario for expendable intellectual property, but that core concept is exciting! Join the book and become a new icon - or be deleted!

In Legends #3; overseeing arch-villain Darkseid chalked Blockbuster's death up as a win in the spread. If only he knew what would happen! Siblings and clones would keep the DC Universe populated with Blockbusters for years to come! Brimstone came back pretty quick, too. Darkseid promised he would, though.

I'm not sure either character was compelling enough to demand their deaths be undone, but I go with it. Misfits of science both, their pseudo-resurrections have a way of working with their innate simplicity. I especially like that Brimstone continued as a recurring problem for Firestorm. Their encounter in Legends #1 has stuck with me these past few weeks. Somehow it just worked!

Thirty years later, death doesn't mean what it used to. I may forgive the pseudo-return of the team's original fatality, but the circus of death and resurrection is fairly constant in Marvel and DC Comics. It's hard for the Suicide Squad to really mean the same. Likewise, the material drifted over the years, losing the drama of the early Ostrander years to action-movie frivolity. Yet, through it all, there's no denying the appeal of this ragtag group of villains, held to a short leash by a very scary, very powerful woman called Amanda Waller!

Little wonder, then, that Warner Brothers has launched the property into a feature film screening in theatres today - August 5th!

We'll be taking the opportunity to look closer at some of the characters in the film with a feast of feature fights and Hero of the Week spotlights throughout the month of August!

Read and own the entire first appearance of the Suicide Squad by using the Amazon purchase link embedded in this article [right]. Find more stories with these characters and others by following links, or diving into the Issue Index Archive!

Winners: Deadshot, Blockbuster & Captain Boomerang
#95 (+206) Deadshot [+1 Kill - Brimstone]
#98 (-6) Brimstone [+1 Kill - Blockbuster]
#291 (new) Blockbuster (Mark Desmond)
#292 (new) Captain Boomerang
#404 (+63) Bronze Tiger [+1 Assist]
#495 (new) Col. Rick Flag [+1 Assist]
#496 (new) Enchantress (June Moone) [+1 Assist]