CHEETAH versus WONDER WOMAN

Blood Debt (DC)
Where: Wonder Woman #222 When: December 2005
Why: Greg Rucka How: Cliff Richards

The Story So Far...
Responsible for fatally snapping Maxwell Lord's neck before the eyes of the world: Wonder Woman must answer to international outcry in response to film of the humanitarian and philanthropist's apparent murder.

Submitting herself to the International Court of Justice; the superhero and Amazon ambassador willingly agrees to residence  in an adjacent detention facility while the terms of her trial are arranged. Alas, death has followed Diana to The Hague.

Watching her plea of "Not Guilty" was the merciless Cheetah, who leaves a pile of court guards' corpses in her wake as she stalks her ultimate prey. Emergency lockdown merely serves to cage the beast as she lies in wait!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Wonder Woman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Wonder Woman 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Cheetah 5 (Super Speed)
Stamina: Wonder Woman 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Cheetah 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wonder Woman 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Wonder Woman 29 (Metahuman)

Cheetah is arguably the most identifiable arch-enemy in Wonder Woman's rogues gallery, so it's about time we took another look at this classic rivalry.

Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva was an anthropologist seeking the secrets of an esoteric African tribe. She hoped for the gift of immortality, but was instead cursed when she submitted to a ritual to become the cat-god Urzkartaga's bride.

For desiring the pleasures of the flesh, she was doomed to survive only by consuming it. With this animal instinct came feline physical attributes, including enhanced strength, agility, reflexes, senses, a tail, and super-human speed!

Her greatest assets fighting Wonder Woman are speed and agility, coupled with feline ferocity -- and claws to match. Extra speed enhancements acquired from Zoom helped almost secure a win in Wonder Woman (Vol.3) #29. A tense stand-off with Wonder Woman in Justice League of America #15 ended when Firestorm delivered a knock-out blow.

Cheetah's also come up short against Catwoman, developing a rivalry over two noteworthy battles. In Catwoman: When In Rome #4, her tail was used against her to efficient effect. Catwoman #78 promised a vicious rematch, but again the fighting technique and desperation of Catwoman turned the tables.

Wonder Woman's no slouch in the arena of combat, but will often forego finesse for a brawling warrior's style that suits her incredible strength.

She used power and brawling to clobber Marvel's Juggernaut in Unlimited Access #1's tag team crossover. She tenaciously endured against the unique magic of Genocide in Wonder Woman #32, as well! She even bested two feral foes in Vixen and Tasmanian Devil during JLA: Classified #3! Impressive!

The record certainly favours Wonder Woman, but we still have more ground to cover before Cheetah can be written off. It must be noted that she successfully sniffed out an invisible Phantom Lady, and slashed up Uncle Sam, contributing to the domination of the Freedom Fighters in Infinite Crisis #1.

Could today's featured fight be the one to finally see Cheetah overwhelm her arch-nemesis? Wonder Woman is waist deep in controversy at this time having just fought Superman and killed Maxwell Lord. Let's see what happened...

The Tape: Wonder Woman Ranking: Wonder Woman (#15)

What Went Down...
From the rafters she watched Wonder Woman's immediate fate be decided with spite and resentment. The tribunal hearing determined she be held in the Hague detention facility, where Cheetah effortlessly follows, hidden by shadow.

Wonder Woman takes advantage of a spontaneous visit from Donna Troy and Supergirl to usher her legal council, Peter Garibaldi, on a safe travel home, then she returns to her quarters to confront the enemy she knows is hiding there!

Stepping into the light -- Cheetah revels in the fruits of her imposed bloodlust and then she launches herself at her sworn enemy with reckless abandon!

Her incredible speed allows her to tag Wonder Woman with the sharp edge of her claws, even as she contends with the mighty swinging fist of the Amazon!

Cheetah hits the wall with her feet and springs back in the direction of Wonder Woman. The warrior for peace is ready, but there's little she can do to prevent the momentum of Cheetah's returning charge. They smash through the wall!

Cheetah slashes at her downed foe, anticipating the taste of her flesh. She pounces into the air -- striking back down at Wonder Woman's cheek with the relentless whipping of her feline tail!

By now, armed guards have rushed to respond to the commotion -- but they're helpless before Cheetah's speed and agility. She darts between their bullets and effortlessly disarms them with a flick of her tail, and slash of her claws!

Before she can devour their flesh -- a gleaming projectile slices through her tail!

The agonizing pain clears her mind. She turns, finding Wonder Woman receiving her golden tiara as it arcs back to her hand like a boomerang. The perceived arrogance of her posture inspires a second wind. Cheetah dives at her prey!

This time Wonder Woman catches the charging Cheetah with a straight hand to the throat and slams her into the ground!

In her mind, Cheetah pleads for mercy from the jealous god who supplies her power, but the real negotiation is over. Wonder Woman slams her powerful fists into Cheetah until she's unconscious in a pool of her own blood.

The Hammer...
A decisive victory for Wonder Woman that takes her further down a path of violence.

She may have stopped the murderous Cheetah, but her bloody victory raises further questions as she awaits trial for the killing of Maxwell Lord.

The next issue deals with the fallout of the battle, with the International Criminal Court left with no choice but to revise the conditions of Wonder Woman's parole.

Diana agrees to the now mandatory imposed detention at The Hague, but quickly breaks the conditions when Themyscira comes under attack from an army of OMACs.

"Omni Mind And Community", or the OMAC Project, is a collective of nano-tech converted humans who were used as programmable soldiers by Checkmate, under the directive of Maxwell Lord.

Even in death, he continues to have his revenge against Wonder Woman, attacking her island home, and her international standing.

This all happened as part of the tangled web of events that built toward Infinite Crisis. An interesting time in DC history, when escalating mini-events created an interconnected foundation for an ultimate mid-decade blockbuster.

At the time, I very much enjoyed the unfolding, controlled chaos of it all, but looking back after years of repeating blockbuster events, it does start to feel a little bit bogged down and exhausting.

The strands of Infinite Crisis would define much of the 2000s, but in some ways it feels as if Wonder Woman was the most permanently effected by it.

These 2005 issues inspired part of my Totem of Justice: an attempt to categorize and define a scale of violence and attitude in contemporary super-heroics. Using the DC heroes of the time, Wonder Woman personified Level 7 of 8: Longstanding Solution, or lethal force -- "a life for a life". Echoes of this time still seem to resonate within most versions of the warrior princess.

This period wasn't the first time Wonder Woman had been shown to be an uncompromising warrior in the ancient sense. It did seem to serve as a lightning rod for rethinking her characterization as an Amazon Princess, though.

Refining the definitive status of icons was one of the pleasures of DC Comics in the early to mid 2000s. There seemed to be a genuine effort to reflect upon the past, searching for the truest aspects of various iterations to inform (and reform) a modern classic take.

Even after sixty years Wonder Woman still seemed to lack that type of enduring touchstone. Lynda Carter could only offer the character so much, and even the post-Crisis period by George Perez seemed to be most fondly referenced for its visual exploits and classic riffs.

At the time, it seemed like an uncompromising Wonder Woman was a good way to differentiate her from counterparts like Superman and Batman. It expanded upon and honored the spirit of the Greek Amazon tradition that remains one of the most unique reference points for the character. The friction it created with her tradition as an ambassador for peace supplied interesting circumstance for drama, as in today's featured issue.

The execution of Maxwell Lord ultimately created a single memorable moment Wonder Woman could hang or hat on. That's probably why aggression is still a part of the character, and why Maxwell Lord will soon appear as a foil in the Wonder Woman theatrical sequel, Wonder Woman 1984.

Some time soon we'll work backwards to take a closer look at that defining moment. In the mean time: if you'd like to read today's featured battle you can find it collected in Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka Volume 3: War in Paradise.

Shopping via the very appropriate Amazon link will not only find you a convenient deal, but also help support the site at no extra cost! If you want to go the extra mile like an Amazon Warrior, you can also get involved by signing up to Patreon!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured 650 battles and ranked well over 950 characters! If you like what it's all about and want to keep up the good fight: Patreon contributions will get you additional updates, extra polls, and custom articles as a thank you.

You can also subscribe to Twitter and Facebook for free daily links to fights inspired by the topic of the day! That's where you'll also find voting for The Contest: Cheetah vs Wolverine! Be sure to vote, like, and share!

Winner: Wonder Woman
#13 (+2) Wonder Woman
#423 (-1) Cheetah

THE CONTEST: CHEETAH versus WOLVERINE

It had to happen! The Grandmaster has watched the Secret Wars on Infinite Earths for many years and now he comes with a challenge: I must select 12 heroes & villains from the DC Universe to do battle against his Champions of the Marvel Universe! Grandmaster's team competed in the first Contest of Champions and set an allowance of 5000pts based on fixed Fight Club Rankings. Each battle will be decided by you in fantasy fight polls held on Twitter, Facebook and Patreon!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Cheetah 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Wolverine 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Cheetah 5 (Super-Human)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Cheetah 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Wolverine 6 (Warrior)
Energy: Draw 1 (None)
Total: Wolverine 26 (Metahuman)

The Grandmaster has come out guns blazing after suffering the biggest defeat of The Contest in the last battle! He's conserved points thus far, but this time he's spending up big to unleash one of the toughest competitors we've seen -- #4 ranked Wolverine!

I want to keep the pressure on, but I have to be realistic: I've already spent 2538pts -- just over half my budget in half the contest. In contrast, The Grandmaster only spent 1200pts before this match, and I know he's still got major players to come. I can't afford to blow all my points against a foe I'll struggle to beat, but I think I've found a mid-range selection who could score an upset!

Cheetah is poised for big things as a major villain in the delayed Wonder Woman movie sequel, and has all the necessary attributes to match and defeat Wolverine!

Her keen feline senses and cat-like claws draw parallels to the X-Man, but it's her incredible super-human speed and agility that could really give Wolverine trouble.

Speed was the difference when The Gorgon claimed victory in Wolverine #20. We also saw Winter Soldier rely on evasion and cutthroat tactics with a blade to earn a win in Wolverine #39. Cheetah may've been beaten in Wonder Woman #29, but she ran rings around Wonder Woman -- and Wolverine will never see or smell her coming at that kind of speed!

Wolverine's famous healing factor obviously gives him the ability to endure considerable punishment, but it can also make him over confident and sloppy. A rogue Archangel took advantage of that, eviscerating him in X-Force #5. He risked similar defeat taking a sword in Blade #5.

Fantastic Four #374 showed us what happens when Wolverine loses control with his razor-sharp adamantium claws, but it's an increasingly rare occurrence. He sliced through Donald Pierce and Lady Deathstrike in X-Men #133 and Uncanny #205, but they show the exception of non-lethal strikes against cyborgs. The former also demonstrates how he might walk into a super-powered loss.

So far we've recorded a 1-1 record for Wolverine against DC crossovers. He got a controversial win over Lobo in Marvel versus DC #3, and only shared a loss to Deathstroke in Uncanny X-Men and New Teen Titans after being overrun by Parademons. We also can't ignore his strong record against a comparable arch-nemesis - Sabretooth. He's a clear favourite against the #423 ranked Cheetah, but I think there's a pretty good case to be made that in practice Cheetah could score the upset!

The Verdict (Updated August 21st)...

As much as there was a legitimate argument to be made -- there was really no denying the favourite in this match-up. Wolverine has long been known as "the best there is at what he does", and that may've led some would-be voters to see a foregone conclusion from the outset.

Response was disappointing, but those that offered their views saw some reason in picking the underdog (or undercat, as it were). Nazar Talk Comics submitted a balanced view with an eye for the difference makers: "... I give it to [Cheetah]. She is stronger and faster. Although Wolverine can react to her and tank her hits and even damage her a little, but at the end, I don't expect him to win..."

Talking Wonder Woman also saw an evenly matched bout, but felt that famous mutant healing factor would be the more likely ticket to surviving: "I think this would be a knock-down, drag-out fight that would go on for a long, long time. If Cheetah can keep her strength up she could win, but with Wolverine's healing if he can outlast her I think he's got it in the end."

I was seduced by the topical dark horse, but Twitter voters could not be convinced. With Facebook polls still out of commission, it was a devastating and overwhelming 72.7% majority in favour of the famous Marvel mutant!

That means Round 7 belongs to The Grandmaster!

We'll be back for Round 8 real soon! Keep your eyes trained to The Contest for the latest battles and past results. Be sure to visit Twitter, Facebook, and Patreon for regular updates and new polls. You can also let me know what you think about the result in the comments or social media!

Winner: Wolverine

The Grandmaster: - 4 (2859pts)

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths: - 3 (1923pts)

<< Contest: Killer Croc vs Talisman    [Home]    Contest: Hawkman vs Peregrine >>

HERO OF THE WEEK: CHEETAH (DC)
Real Name: Barbara Ann Minerva
First Appearance: Wonder Woman #7 (August, 1987)
Fight Club Ranking: #372

Featured Fights:
- vs CATWOMAN: Catwoman: When In Rome #4 (Mar 2005)
- vs FREEDOM FIGHTERS: Infinite Crisis #1 (Dec 2005)
- vs JUSTICE LEAGUE: Justice League of America #15 (Jan 2008)
- vs CATWOMAN: Catwoman #78 (Jun 2008)
- vs WONDER WOMAN: Wonder Woman #29 (Apr 2009)

The freight train of Injustice 2 is well and truly picking up speed on the track of an April release. The mystery of the playable game roster is quickly becoming solved with a slew of trailer reveals, most recently the Valentine's Day showcase of four femme fatales: Here Come The Girls!

Catwoman and Poison Ivy have finally stepped into view, alongside previous HOTW Black Canary, but the one I found myself most jazzed to see was: Cheetah!

The classic Wonder Woman villain isn't necessarily one of the most anticipated characters, but she comes as a harbinger for a lot of things I'm pleased to see. First and foremost: I'm pleased to see NetherRealm Studios resisting some of their lesser design impulses, offering up a faithful and tastefully understated incarnation of the character. The temptation to layer armor plates over the speedy villainess has been resisted -- at least until players choose their way through the Gear System.

The original Injustice had a solid DC Comics roster, but the game itself was pretty short on comic book reference. It's nice to see the sequel roster digging deeper into the pantheon for a more eclectic mix of playable characters. The fact that we already have the likes of Atrocitus and Supergirl, with Swamp Thing also revealed this week, paints a promising picture for a fun blend of characters.

It was fun to see Cheetah and Catwoman in the same gameplay footage. There'll be obvious appeal to throwing down with arch-nemesis Wonder Woman, but if you've seen Cheetah's more recent battles with Catwoman [see the list of links above] -- you know how that can be fun! I'd also get a kick out of testing Cheetah's quickness against The Flash, thinking of other more recent skirmishes.

I still can't call myself a total convert for Injustice, but they're building a case for what could be a very fun addition to the DC video game canon! That's enough to make Cheetah Hero of the Week!

<< Hero of the Week 02/27: Wolverine    [Home]    Hero of the Week 02/13: Black Lightning >>

CHEETAH versus WONDER WOMAN
Rise of the Olympian Part Four:
A Changed World (DC)
Where: Wonder Woman #29 When: April 2009
Why: Gail Simone How: Aaron Lopresti

The Story So Far...
With the machinations of the evil New Gods thwarted, the deities of Mount Olympus return from capture to find their ethereal home tarnished by dark ruin. Recognising their increasing obsolescence, Zeus uses his remaining powers to create radical change in the world. After retiring the Amazons, he creates a new army of legends to champion peace in the world of man, the Gargareans.

Wonder Woman is far from ready to concede her position, however. While Zeus rallys against WW's newest godly sponsor; Kane Milohai; the warrior princess herself battles against a horrific new villain created by the evil masterminds of a newly reformed Society. Genocide is a creature created by the brilliant madmen of a newly reformed Society who, upon gathering the soil of locales marred by humanity's darkest moments, gave birth to Wonder Woman's ultimate evil counterpart -- a mythic monster lusting for destruction.

Capable of utilizing the golden lasso of truth as part of a destructive psychic weapon, Genocide lays waste to the heroine and her allies at the Department of Metahuman Affairs. Green Lantern (John Stewart), Donna Troy, and others, are able to help minimize the destruction of the attack, but when Wonder Woman redirects her focus from a disturbed Troia, to a rescue effort, she finds lurking beneath the rubble the mastermind behind her troubles -- Cheetah!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Wonder Woman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Wonder Woman 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Cheetah 5 (Superhuman)
Stamina: Wonder Woman 5 (Marathon)
Agility: Cheetah 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Wonder Woman 6 (Warrior)
Energy Power: Draw 1 (None)


- Before becoming a super-villain, Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva was an anthropologist who travelled to Africa to seek the secrets of a tribe whose guardian is said to possess the mystic powers of a cheetah.

When this guardian is killed by marauders, Minerva steps up to the mantle, but details of the mystic process mean the recipient must be a virgin, which she is not. The irregularity means the mystic powers of the Cheetah become a curse, as Minerva finds herself wracked with pain, and bloodthirsty when in the form of a human-cat.

As Cheetah, Minerva possesses strength, speed, agility surpassing any ordinary human, approaching the levels of the creature from which she takes her name. Her senses are also heightened to comparable levels to the animal.
With guidance from her eventual Society teammate, Hunter Zolomon, Cheetah was able to attain a new level of super-human speed far exceeding her natural skill.

- Commanded by the Greek gods to carve a child from clay; the Amazonian Queen, Hippolyta, bore witness to the animation of this child as her daughter, Diana.The child was enchanted with abilities comaprable to those of the gods themselves; fantastic speed, strength, agility, and endurance. With the teachings of Gaea and the peaceful Amazon warriors to guide her, Princess Diana grew to be their greatest champion, as powerful as she was gentle.

When the Princess was of age she was the natural choice of the warrior women of Themyscira to carry their message of of peace and harmony to the world of man.There, she served not only as a diplomat, but as a founding member of the Justice League whose legend grew to be one of the greatest heroes on Earth.

Math: Wonder Woman Ranking: Wonder Woman (#15)

What Went Down...
Descending into the cavernous darkness of the collapsed Department of Metahuman Affairs building, Wonder Woman seeks the hope of survivors of Genocide's lethal blast. Instead, she finds herself ambushed by Cheetah!

The feline villainess tugs at her arch-rival's hair, before unleashing the slashing terror of her cat-like claws. The Amazon defends well, returning the favour with a superhuman left hook that sends Cheetah hurtling through the air!

A verbal assault puts an already concerned Wonder Woman further on the back foot. Utilizing her fantastic speed, Cheetah disappears into the darkness of the collapsed rubble, forcing her foe to question whether or not she can fight in such confined space. The speedy Cheetah punctuates her mental assault, emerging from the dark in a blur of orange to strike the disoriented Amazon.

Support from the DMA arrives to aid the embattled Princess, but Cheetah's speed continues to bedevil, making any clear shot with weaponry almost impossible for the mortal men. With their attempts rendered moot, the villainess is left to run free, slashing from side to side across the flesh of Wonder Woman's face.

Disappearing into the dark again, Cheetah mocks her nemesis. The space she allows, however, gives Wonder Woman the opportunity to put into action a cunning plot. She summons her allies to fire their missile, using her unbreakable bracelets to ricochet the weapon toward her target in an unexpected assault directed toward the sound of the taunting voice.

Finding faith in her skills as an Amazon Warrior, Wonder Woman catches Cheetah in the air! Snagging her tail, Wonder Woman vaults the villain into a wall with superhuman strength!

Cheetah remains undeterred, despite the physical dominance. Instead, she pokes at the emotional imbalance being felt by the Amazon. Gleefully, she reveals Genocide to have Etta Candy in her posession; wife of Diana's former love-interest and Deputy Secretary of Defense, Steve Trevor.

Enraged, Wonder Woman warns Cheetah that any ill fate to fall on the woman will be paid for. With that, she delivers a final knock-out blow to Cheetah.

The Hammer...
If you're a regular reader of the Infinite Wars, you've been here for our many occasional musings on today's winner, Wonder Woman.

Despite being one of DC's leading icons, the heroine so frequently fails to match the sales quota of her fellows in the famous "Trinity". Such is her struggle with success that Wonder Woman typically meets appearances only out of obligation, joining the JLA in feature events as a broad concept, while more notably kept to a contractual mandate of monthly appearances that keep her own title afloat where others might have drowned.

Claiming the Trinity represents the cream of the DC crop is open to debate. The heroine's role as a totem in the DCU feels very right, but when an event like Final Crisis rolls the character out in an inconsequential manner, one has to wonder exactly where Wonder Woman stands.

After our many visitations to the subject, it's very nice to finally be talking about a current issue of 'Wonder Woman.' Despite ranking in the top fifteen characters in our cumulative account, most of those reviews came from guest-spots and team obligations. Never before have we really had the opportunity to sit down and look at Wonder Woman on terms dictated by the character herself.

Thus far, Season 2009 of the Infinite Wars has been focused chiefly on the releases of each week. This approach gives us a chance to rank the contemporary involvement of characters based on reviews of significance week to week. Our budget isn't exactly impressive, however, and it's very likely the system will revert to matters less relevant to the current reader. Weekly sections are narrow and often dictated by reluctance as much as any keen favourtism.

This is relevant because I cannot claim to have any grand insight into the goings on in Wonder Woman at this point. I am largely ignorant to the specifics of Gail Simone's current run as writer-slash-saviour on the Wonder Woman title.

With that in mind, I'm not about to make any grandious declarations, one way or the other. I really can't tell if this is the touch to finally restore the percentile balance of significance to the Wonder Woman character, or if it's just another walk in the park. I want to say it's all a bit too wishy-washy to be noteworthy of any kind of revival, but, I also feel compelled to reiterate that it's an absolute joy to want to buy a Wonder Woman comic, and actually enjoy it, too!

It's difficult to seperate the influences of DC Editorial and Gail Simone.
That's not to say there's any imposing sense of pressure on the script, (like Dwayne McDuffie's Justice League of America), but the lines of direction seem to plausibly be shared between the writer's story, and a grand design for the character. Rise of the Olympian is very obviously challenging the mythology of Wonder Woman, even though the direction of the character seems to feel very familiar and unadventurous. It seems unlikely this will be the story upon which Wonder Woman fans can finally hang their hat, far from memorable in a context comparable to the classic Batman or Superman stories.

Unremarkable to the superhero landscape, though it may be, it's not really what I would consider worthy of criticism. In many ways, attempts to contrive revamps and epic tales within these pages have only led to their further deterioration.
Striking a balance between action and plot, it seems Simone is more than suited to at least raising the game of Wonder Woman to a standard that makes it a consistently noteworthy monthly title. I know I've been watching with interest, and am glad to finally have had reason to jump on in.

The art team really deserves recognition for the title.
While Aaron Lopresti's pencils sometimes veer into mediocre staging, they are more often than not, superb. Matt Ryan's inks are as confident and bold as the titular character herself, while Brad Anderson provides a colour palette that's cool and developed, offering gradients of depth without overly burnt highlights.

Lopresti's Wonder Woman falls at the centre of a visual triangle of muscular power, raven haired beauty, and functioning superhero, in a way many recent artists have failed to. The action creeps away from the penciller ever so slightly, but figures that are neither too hard, nor too soft, make up for that.

If I had a pet peeve, it would be an issue of characterization.
Personalized takes on superheroes and villains are nothing new in comics, but Simone's phrasing takes the book in some slightly uncomfortable directions. Bold and vaguely poetic overstatements feel a little awkward in the hands of different characters, but particularly Cheetah, who is a character I've grown very comfortable with over the past few years.

Simone's Cheetah, by necessity of the story, is perhaps a fraction more sinister than I'm accustomed to expecting. Recent turns in Catwoman [#78], Final Crisis: Resist, and JLA [#15], have eased me into regarding the villain with a vein of humanity that feels slightly absent in these issues. Her role in the plot feels like a reversion into a much less substantial character, reminiscent of classic and interchangable supervillains. Whether or not that's just my baggage, or a disappointing element of the story, I do not know. It certainly isn't the Cheetah I've come to look forward to, but the departure isn't so far that she's rendered unrecognisable. Actually, she's probably not altogether dissimilar to Loeb's casual reinvention of the character [from When in Rome], meeting the others.

It's slightly ironic that Grant Morrison's brief liason with the character in Final Crisis probably numbers among my favourite recent appearances, given his apparent difficulty with the character. The domination of his Wonder Woman wasn't terribly auspicious, but the heroic distance I read into the character felt somehow suitable. Simone's Wonder Woman doesn't have that natural sense of aloof stature, perhaps partly due to the effects of Genocide's attack, but also a script that interprets her role with clunky proficiency; "My cursed duty. My damnable priorities."

Sharing a third (or more) of the book is a B-plot centered on Zeus and the reclamation of Wonder Woman, presumably in the interest of opposing her as part of his initiative to employ men in the role of the retired Amazons. Usually I'm not especially interested in the mythological aspects of Wonder Woman, but this actually played rather nicely. Resonances between events effecting Wonder Woman and Zeus seemed wanting for a connective resolve, but weren't so far apart that the conclusion crumbled.

All in all, I'm sorry I didn't get to this sooner! As a book coming out in the week of Feb. 25, it was an all together good read!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4.5
Winner: Wonder Woman

You can catch all the action from Rise of the Olympian by checking out the collected edition from DC comics! By utilizing Amazon links provided, you help sponsor future entries on the site just like this one. You can find more great editions in the Infinite Wars Gift Shoppe, boasting collections that feature almost every issue review in the Secret Archives!

JUSTICE LEAGUE versus
INJUSTICE LEAGUE
Unlimited Chapter 4: Unleashed (DC)
Where: Justice League of America #15 When: January 2008 Why: Dwayne McDuffie How: Ed Benes

The Story So Far...
The matrimonial union of Dinah Lance and Oliver Queen -- better known to the world as Black Canary and Green Arrow -- should have been one of the happiest occasions on the Justice League calendar. Instead, it was to initiate a new incarnation of the Injustice League into being, marking another in a long line of personal attacks suffered by the heroes in recent years.

Organized as an "unlimited" version of the team by Lex Luthor, Joker, and Cheetah; the League of criminals forms as a response to the dissolving Society of Supervillains. With motives of widespread corruption and protection of crooks, the Injustice League strikes with startling success.

Having captured the JLA, the Injustice League holds their nemesis in captivity with the intent of executing them, but despite their consumate planning they failed to take into account the legacy of an atomic hero called Firestorm!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Lex Luthor 6 (Genius)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speeds)
Stamina: Shaggy Man 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Shadow Thief 7 (Unlimited)
Fighting Ability: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy Power: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic)


- The Justice League of America are: Black Canary, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Red Arrow, Hawkgirl, John Stewart, Geo-Force, Vixen, Hal Jordan, and Firestorm.

Born of necessity; the Justice League represent a coordinated effort by the world's finest heroes to protect and serve in the many iterations of their regional representation, and on a global scale. Boasting some of the planet's most powerful humans and extra-terrestrials, the League is equipped to combat any threat that should overwhelm the individual efforts of their member, or conventional defenses of the world's nations.

The League is classically defined by the core membership of it's founding members, affectionately referred to as the big seven. Overseen by stalwarts, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, they are; Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter. Several of these members would come to be succeeded by others baring their name, Wally West and Kyle Rayner, while many other heroes would come to be prominently listed with the group; Hawkman, Atom, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Zatanna, Elongated Man, Firestorm, Captain Marvel, Red Tornado, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire, Ice, and others.

- The Injustice League are: Lex Luthor, Dr. Light, Giganta, Shadow Thief, Mr. Freeze, Fatality, Killer Frost, Gorilla Grodd, Poison Ivy, Deathstroke, Cheetah, Joker, Chesire, Shaggy Man, and Volcano Man.

Formed originally by a bored alien despot, Agamemno; the Injustice League exists as a none-too-subtle counter response to the premiere superhero collective of the DC Universe, the Justice League. Their original membership consisted of Kanjar Ro, Lex Luthor, Catwoman, Sinestro, Penguin, Dr. Light, Chronos, Black Manta, Felix Faust, and Mr. Element.

Sometime after his interdimensional doppelganger galvanized the criminal community as The Society, Lex Luthor reformed the League with a large group of villains, intending to utilize their powers as a protection unit. His true motives behind the formation of the team remain secret, but when the Earth's villains are banished to the planet Salvation, Luthor is prepared to lead them to safety.

Math: Injustice League (Ttl) Justice League (Avg) Ranking: Batman (#2)

What Went Down...
Lex Luthor, armed with powersuit and kryptonite knife, looms over a battered Superman with victory seemingly imminent. That is, until Firestorm arrives to transmute the life-sapping alien shiv into a harmless carbon-based toy!

Unaware of the young hero's efforts to free an imprisoned Justice League, Luthor gloats over the numerical superiority of his collective. Killer Frost is the first to strike, firing ice that easily countered with Firestorm's nuclear heat.

Dr. Light joins the femme fatale to lend a little extra power, but Firestorm is not without his own impending back-up... Having freed himself and the team with a ballpoint pen supplied by Firestorm - Batman marches the JLA into a rematch with their sinister counterparts!

Acting team leader, Black Canary, immediately makes her presence felt, dissipating Shadow Thief with the blasting echo of her canary-cry.
She promptly turns her attentions to grappling with Cheshire, while some members of the Injustice League opt to make an escape, left to run free in favour of strategic grouping by the JLA.

Canary tosses her opponent into Cheetah, leaving Chesire to attempt an escape into the surrounding swampland of her own. Hawkgirl borrows some of Red Arrow's hollowpoints to account for the absence of her mace, suggesting the archer might be going soft on his former flame.

Told not to pursue Mr. Freeze or Deathstroke; Wonder Woman takes the initiative to swing back around to aid Firestorm with a knock-out blow to Killer Frost!

Still unconscious, Black Lightning finds himself with the talon-like fingernails of Cheetah at his throat. Seemingly out of the game, the hero awakens, responding to Cheetah's threats with an unforgiving electrical charge!

Green Lantern joins the fray, forming a green force bubble to fend off the combined attack of Fatality's yellow Qwardian powerring, and Dr. Light's light manipulations.

Red Arrow lends the assist, firing a warning arrow into Fatality's hand with the promise of a second to the forehead. Undeterred by the hero's threats, it's Firestorm who puts the Xanshian warrior down by using his matrix powers to turn the Qwardian ring's energy against her!

Wonder Woman turns her Amazonian super-strength to Gorilla Grodd, swatting him into submission with a devestating three-fist combo! Alas; the attention required by the Gorilla leaves her wide open to a sneak attack by the Shaggy Man! Meanwhile, Wonder Woman's arch-nemesis, Giganta, challenges Black Canary to a one-on-one tussle.

The Canary narrowly vaults over Giganta's giant piledriving fist, using her bodyweight to snap back on the fifty-foot woman's oversized thumb! Having the proportionate dimensions of a skyscraper turns out to be a horrible disadvantage when Black Canary unleashes her sonic scream on the giant-woman's eardrums. As she passes out, Lex Luthor narrowly avoids being crushed by his ally.

Vixen, having absorbed the powers of Superman, launches into battle with Volcano Man, withstanding the burning sear of his rocky body to deliver a two-fisted polish hammer! The Volcano Man gets a taste of the Earth as the mimicking hero uses Kryptonian power to grind his head into the ground with a super-fast boot, before returning the powers to their original vessel.

Armed with the razortips of two red arrows, she easily slices through the animated fauna at the command of Poison Ivy. Not so easy, however, is the renewed assault launched by Fatality on Red Arrow and John Stewart!

While Black Lightning and Firestorm tend to a damaged Red Tornado, Gorilla Grodd launches a charging assault spotted by the legless android. Firestorm creates a brickwall to slow the charge, but Grodd easily pounds through it. Just as the rampaging beast reaches his prey the ground suddenly opens up by the will of Geo-Force, who entraps Grodd by closing the chasm!

With the tide definitively turning, Cheetah seems to come to the aid of an unconscious Dr. Light, but as soon as he gets to his feet, it is Cheetah who rakes her claws through the doctor's back!

Light's past comes back to haunt him at the least likely of moments, but before Cheetah can deliver the killing stroke to the sex offender, Wonder Woman intervenes to deflect the slash. The Amazon talks her arch-villain down, only to have Firestorm swat her unconscious with an energy blast.

Meanwhile, with his powers restored, Superman interrupts an aerial skirmish between John Stewart and Lex Luthor, to challenge his arch-nemesis.
Hal Jordan arrives to join his fellow GL Corpsman in gripping the kryptonite gauntlets on Luthor's suit with the energy of the power rings, giving Superman the chance to deliver a knock-out blow.

The defeat of founding members, Luthor and Cheetah, puts an end to the Injustice League's antics. Batman, who had been conspicuously absent from the fight, arrives with the final member of the founders, the Joker, having ignored a direct order from the team's newest leader, Black Canary.

With the unconscious collection of the villains at their feet, the question of what to do with them becomes the JLA's most pressing concern. It's then that Amanda Waller leads her ragtag team of reformed villains into the room, waving an official warrant in the generation direction of the heroes!

The Hammer...
Okay, you probably figure it's a pretty clear case of the Justice League taking the victory here, but the end of the issue includes an additional twist. For the villains who appeared to escape, a seven-issue maxi-series earns them an off-page defeat at the hands of Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad for the assist!

Unbenknownst to Bane, Deadshot, Blockbuster, Plastique, Count Vertigo, Bronze Tiger, Multiplex, and Captain Boomerang, a good number of them are slated to join the captured villains on a prison planet called Salvation. All part of the Salvation Run event that defined much of the DC villains' 2008.

For November on the belated Infinite Wars, this issue made for a great opportunity to stop in with a good many playable characters from Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe. While we can't help but offer a somewhat damning assessment of the final product, we are still quite enthusiastic about the properties surrounding the game. Of the heroes and villains appearing in this issue, you can so far play as: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Deathstroke, Joker, and Lex Luthor. Downloadable characters may emerge before the end of the year.

With the Infinite Wars a horrid two weeks behind schedule once more, our unforgiving agenda quite naturally lands us with an epic battle between two mammoth teams. I'm sure there was a lot of commentary that could've made for some interesting and ponderous discussion, but as has been a bit characteristic of our second-half of 2008, you might have to make do without the best of us.

I wouldn't be quite as harsh on the heavily editorialized nature of the series, but would have to agree with some other reviewers' sentiments that the Meltzer-reboot of JLA as a series has failed to really present the A-list title you would expect. Marvel's New Avengers has suffered a similar deterioration, but holds on stronger to the focus of it's characters and an independent story.

In the end the biggest negative is the burden that seems to filter through to McDuffie's script. I'd like to think it isn't his public acknowledgment of frustration that's colouring this interpretation of the issue which feels much less inspired than other superhero skirmishes we've seen from McDuffie, or other writers. The team and adventure feels like a restrictive checklist of required beats.

At the end of the day, a sizable portion of the mainstream audience has been reacting negatively to this editorial vision. While it might not be benefitting JLA as much as one would like, Dan Didio's corporate ship feels cohesive and logical. I simply couldn't fault the issue for being connected to events that contribute to the saga of the DCU and the League as a vital component of that Universe.

Cheetah's sudden betrayal of Dr. Light reads like an awful pro wrestling plot twist, but as described in our Final Crisis #1 review, is an appreciated acknowledgment of a major event that's felt like the elephant in the room every time Dr. Light makes casual appearances in titles like Teen Titans, Green Arrow, or Superman/Batman. Light, of course, suffered a more torturous penance for his sexual assaults under the vengeful gaze of The Spectre -- a fate befitting of one of the most vile criminals DC has seen, depending on when you've read him (post-Identity Crisis). Wonder Woman's speech feels as ham fisted as Cheetah's attack, but with that vital acknowledgment of his crimes, it feels much easier to respect and enjoy Light's tumultuous career over the past few years.

The Infinite Wars will be back again with more Mortal Kombat and DC Universe features in the coming days, including the follow-up to our MK spotlight, this time with the characters from the DCU portion fo the recent game. Stay tuned!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 4

Christmas is coming and with comics a conscious part of the zeitgeist, why not gift a full story? The Infinite Wars offers a range of titles easily purchased online via Amazon. Not only do they have great prices, but by visiting the store via one of the links on the Infinite Wars before your purchase, you help sponsor the website! Need some ideas? The Infinite Wars has an extensive catalogue of reviews that can be purchased in the Gift Shoppe! Not a Christmas celebrant? Fret not! All holiday makers are welcome!

CHEETAH versus CATWOMAN
The Long Road Home: Part 1 (DC)
Where: Catwoman #78 When: June 2008
Why: Will Pfeifer How: David López

The Story So Far...
After a spate of especially violent superhuman crimes, the secreted United Nations agency called Checkmate set about plans to 'relocate' the world's super powered criminals on a distant planet called, Salvation.

Amanda Waller leads the initiative with her group of reformed and controlled criminals, the Suicide Squad, in an effort to round-up the powers, and redistribute them with the use of Apokoliptian Boom Tube technology.

Catwoman finds herself among those trapped on the hell planet, which is actually a training ground for the New Gods. Populated by deadly and malicious creatures designed to harden those trained there, Catwoman has much to contend with, not only the wildlife, but also arch enemies like Hammer and Sickle...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Cheetah 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Catwoman 3 (Professor)
Speed: Cheetah 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Cheetah 5 (Cat-like)
Fighting Ability: Catwoman 4 (Trained)
Energy Power: Draw 1 (None)


- Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva was an anthropologist who travelled to Africa to seek out the secrets of a tribe whose guardian is said to possess the powers of a cheetah.

When this guardian is killed by marauders, Minerva steps up to the mantle, but details of the mystic process mean the recipient must be a virgin, which she is not. The irregularity means the mystic powers of the Cheetah become a curse, as Minerva finds herself wracked with pain, and bloodthirsty when in the form of a human-cat.

As Cheetah, Minerva possesses strength, speed, agility surpassing any ordinary human, approaching the levels of the creature from which she takes her name. Her senses are also heightened to comparable levels to the animal.

- Selina Kyle lives a life on the streets, coming to be known as a notorious thief. Her escapades garner much attention, and eventually force the burglar to lay low, where she continues her career in crime as a dominatrix extracting information from potential victims.

Kyle gains extensive training in the martial arts, and inspired by the mysterious vigilante called Batman, adopts her own leather mask and catsuit ensemble to become Catwoman.
As Catwoman, she embarks on a career as an ambiguous entity in the Gotham City landscape. Though regularly acting as a professional burglar and occasional mercenary, Catwoman also comes to be known as a protector of Gotham's East End. She is also known to be romantically involved with Batman.

Catwoman is a highly skilled fighter at peak physical condition, with impressive physical strength, agility, and speed. Catwoman also utilizes weapons including a whip, cat o' nine tails variation, and claws contained within her gloves.

History: Catwoman (1-0-0)
The Math: Cheetah Ranking: Catwoman (#21)

What Went Down...
Alone on a planet populated by murderers and madmen, Catwoman finds herself face-to-face with her Russian arch-enemies, Hammer and Sickle. Ever the survivalist, Catwoman convinces them her alliance with Lex Luthor can get them off the planet, but only if she can convince the All-American Luthor to aid the tandem of Russian super-soldiers.

The Russians prove less than invested in their role as Catwoman's super-muscle when Cheetah descends on the trio while they overlook Lex Luthor's camp. Tensions between the feline-themed ladies had built over previous encounters.

Forced to fend for herself; Catwoman finds herself physically overwhelmed by her stronger opponent, who pins her to the ground before slamming her head into the stone underfoot. Cheetah prepares to toss her foe to the villains below, but the incredibly agile Catwoman is able to swing out of the press position, using her momentum to drive Cheetah's arm into a jarring slam.

Suffering a broken wing, Cheetah is too distracted to defend herself from Catwoman's preemptive assault. A rock serves as a makeshift equaliser, Catwoman wielding it as a weapon she breaks across Cheetah's face, before toppling her with a roundhouse kick.

The rush attack hurts Cheetah, making her increasingly desperate.
Catwoman reaches for the whip, wrapping it around Cheetah's head with a violent crack. Unwilling to go down so easy, Cheetah yanks on the whip, flicking Catwoman over the edge of the cliff. The whip drags both women down, but only one of them is in condition enough to maneuver in the air...

Catwoman rides her attacker to the ground, but the impact fails to put an end to Cheetah's vengeful desires. Catwoman paws at her belt, revealing a cigar marked "J" just as the feline villainess launches herself.

"Any of you *koff* guys see the Joker tell him I said thanks for the cigar."

The explosion puts a punctuated end to the latest installment in the growing rivalry between vixens. The war, however, is but beginning, as Luthor and Catwoman look to the night sky to witness a boom tube open...

The Hammer...
Ladies and gentlemen, Catwoman officially smoked Cheetah. Oh, come on! What would victory-by-Joker cigar be without a bad joke to close the deal? Ah, to hell with you guys!...

Needless to say, it wasn't the pun that delayed yet another entry in the Infinite Wars. Suffice to say my time's been pretty well booked lately, but I was too excited about the prospect of getting another entry from 2008 up on the Wars, that I just had to push on! What a trooper.

Earlier in the year we featured a previous encounter between these two characters; from the Loeb/Sale mini, Catwoman: When in Rome; as a direct response to the release of this issue that caused a minor stir. It's nice to be able to follow up, because the issue delivers exactly the kind of whip cracking throwdown I had hoped for.

For those who missed it; it was the salacious reception of the Adam Hughes coverart that had many interpreting the lip-biting cover as the latest in a long line of covers that are gratuitous.
While I would accept Hughes has a reputation for provocative artwork, and Catwoman covers have certainly pushed that line; I felt, and feel, this was more fantasy than fact when describing the feral ferociousness of this cover. Suffice to say, it proves an accurate representative of internal materials now detailed.

That's not to say I'm stupid or blind, mind you.
My threshold for embarassment and arousal might be a bit more relaxed than our friends from the United States, but my thoughts did turn to the Comics Fairplay regular feature when spying what is to be the second-to-last cover for this series of the book [Catwoman #81].


Top 25 Ladies#1 Invisible Woman (Marvel)
#2 Catwoman (DC)
#3 Storm (Marvel)
#4 Rogue (Marvel)
#5 Wonder Woman (DC)
#6 Wasp (Marvel)
#7 Zatanna (DC)
#8 Elektra (Marvel)
#9 Kitty Pryde (Marvel)
#10 Hawkgirl (DC)
#11 Tara (Marvel)
#12 Spitfire (Marvel)
#13 Hellcat (Marvel)
#14 R. Mika (Capcom)
#15 Phoenix (Marvel)
#16 Black Cat (Marvel)
#17 Black Canary (DC)
#18 Black Widow (Marvel)
#19 Lyja (Marvel)
#20 Tabitha Stevens (Marvel)
#21 She-Thing (Marvel)
#22 Powergirl (DC)
#23 Stargirl (DC)
#24 Sayd (DC)
#25 Sakura (Capcom)I'm no wowser, but if a scene depicting the catsuit clad heroine bent over infront of spotlights isn't gratuitous, I do not know what is! Yeesh!

Food for thought, though that may be, it's actually the impending cancellation of the title that's the real talking point. Upcoming issues bring Selina Kyle back to her stomping grounds of Gotham, but it looks like her return from Salvation will only bring her into conflict with the villains of Gotham, and former-flame, Batman.

Admittedly, between being busy and distracted by other sources, I'm a bit out of the loop, but I just don't know what to expect from the coming months at DC!

Final Crisis has thrown all kinds of theories at the wall! The final chapter of the so-called "Crisis Trilogy" has me feeling everything I've mocked others for. After scoffing notions that Identity or Infinite Crisis were building to a line-wide reboot or fragmented multiverse; I find myself dreading the potential of exactly that.

Catwoman has been confirmed for post-cancellation appearances in Detective Comics, but for a title that's held such a consistent standard for over eighty issues, it seems like a bitter consolation for Will Pfeifer, David Lopez, and fans of the series. It also begs the question of what the future holds for the character.

I have to admit, thoughone of Wonder Woman's few readily identifiable adversaries, I liked the notion of seeing Cheetah and Catwoman continue their acquaintance as rivals. As a supporting character herself, that might be a little too much to ask for, but the baggage Catwoman has accumulated in her solo adventures may yet find it's way to pages inhabited by the Dark Knight, which could make for some very interesting material.

Continuing the theme that seems to have trumped Invincible Iron Month; Cheetah and Catwoman are also prime examples of characters it might be nice to see in the upcoming Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe. The modern Cheetah certainly has qualities sure to appease certain expectations of MK fans.
I'd love to elaborate, but I'm absolutely zonked, so I'll take my leave satisfied with just getting an entry done! Make sure you stay tuned for the various things going on around the site, and keep rocking! More soon!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 5

You'll have to wait a while before preordering the collected edition of this Catwoman story, but there's plenty of other Catwoman goodness on offer in the Infinite Wars: Amazonian Gift Shoppe! Titles reviewed, and recommended, are all available at low prices thanks to Amazon, and by using purchase links provided, you help sponsor future entries in the Infinite Wars! Show your support, check out the many titles on offer, including the series, Salvation Run! Be sure to also check out the urban adventures of the White Ghost in our very own, The Kirby Martin Inquest. At the special price of $1.99 for twenty-two pages of full-size story, it's the perfect time to show your support for resident fledgling (and exhausted) talent, Mike Haseloff!